Baser Instinct
by StrawberryTigress
Summary: For years Spike has been suppressing his species' natural instincts, but one cannot suppress what comes naturally for too long. Now Spike and his friends must find a way for him to remain in Ponyville among the ones he loves. But is this possible? Which is more powerful: nature or nurture?
1. Chapter 1

Princess Celestia's warm sun shone brightly over the small, cozy village of Ponyville. The skies were blue and clear, thanks to the efforts of the city's hardworking pegasi weather team. It was perfect weather for a picnic or a walk in the park or anything really. Anything except…

_Reshelving Day… _

Yes, inside Ponyville's only library, Golden Oaks, it was indeed Reshelving Day. Books of all shapes and sizes were scattered across the floors and stacked haphazardly on tables one on top of another. If one were to peer inside the library's windows at that moment, that pony would have barely made out the dark figures of two of the library's residents among all the literary chaos.

"This is going to be so great!" exclaimed Twilight Sparkle. "Just imagine, Spike! A whole new way in which to organize libraries… _Ohmygosh_, Marevil Dewey is such a genius!" Twilight's magenta magic levitated a nearby book towards her, and she began to read its title. "Spike, be ready for this one. History of the Griffin Republic: The Gilded Age."

Nearby and nearly buried in old books, Spike the Dragon grumbled to himself. They had been reorganizing the library since early that morning. Exactly when was he going to get his lunch break?

"Spike!" Twilight barked. "Focus! We really have to get this done!"

"_Okay… Okay_…" Spike rolled his eyes. "History of the Griffin Republic: The Gilded Age, 940 under the Griffin Republic, plus 0.3 for the Gilded Age. You should reshelve it under number 940.3."

"Right," Twilight responded as she carefully shelved History of the Griffin Republic under the 900s section. Immediately she picked up another book. "_The Merry Adventures of Robin Hoof_ by Haywood Pye."

"Eight-hundred and twenty-three for Old Equestrian fiction, plus 0.7 for works by Haywood Pye, and plus 0.02 for the background setting of Trottingham."

"You mean, plus 0.023 for the background setting of Trottingham," Twilight corrected with a smile.

"Yeah…" Spike smiled as he crossed out his mistake. "Point-zero-twenty-three." Even in the most boring of situations, Twilight's excitement was still as infectious as ever. There was a warm silence between them as Twilight went digging for another tome to classify.

"Let's see… The Joys of Dentistry and—Oh!"

"The Joys of Dentistry and Oh, is that philosophy, science, or general fiction?" Spike asked.

"_None of the above_…" Twilight deadpanned. "Spike, I thought you said you threw this out ages ago. You haven't been hording things again, have you?" In front of his face, she held up Spike's old sleeping basket, crushed flat under the weight of many books and slightly moldy from wherever it had been hidden in the last two years since the purple dragon finally outgrew it.

Spike winced and shifted his limbs uneasily. Ever since the…incident…after his birthday all those years ago, the subject of him and hording was very, very sensitive.

Twilight sighed. "_Spike_…"

"No, Twi," the dragon answered. "I-I'll just take this outside."

"You don't need to really-"

"No," Spike stated a little more forcefully. "I'll just take this outside." A cold hush fell between them as Spike grabbed the old basket in his claw and waded through the sea of books towards the front door. Before touching the handle, the dragon paused. "Twilight, I think we're short on quills. May I have some bits to get some more?"

Twilight's lips almost twitched into a small smile. "Yeah, sure, Spike."

Spike almost smiled back as he felt a handful of bits appear in his right claw. "I'll be right back, Twi!" he called. With the wicker basket gripped in one claw and the bits in the other, he shut the door behind him and sighed. His heart quaked inside him as he approached the simple tin trash can that sat every day in front of Golden Oaks Library. He tightened his death hold upon the basket; his arms shook.

Twilight didn't understand. Spike had spent years sleeping in that basket. That basket held warm memories; that basket was _HIS_. Two years ago when Twilight had first tried to throw it out, those thoughts rushed through his head, and he immediately found a spur of the moment hiding place between bookshelves. In hindsight, that probably wasn't the most brilliant idea, but it was in Spike's instinct to horde—just like it was in Twilight's instinct to eat daisy sandwiches. Nopony asked Twilight to throw out all of her sandwiches.

'_But then again_,' the dragon thought to himself. '_Eating sandwiches doesn't turn anypony into humongous Ponyville-destroying, pony-napping monsters, do they_?'

The dragon sighed as he thought of the struggle between nature and nurture that raged inside him almost daily. The small, foggy part of his mind that was forever locked behind steel bars screamed at him to hide it, horde it, again—this time in a better place where the lavender one would not find it, but the calm majority of his brain overrode this. He knew perfectly well what a slippery slope just keeping one unnecessary item could be.

Slowly, Spike raised the trash can's lid. All he had to was simply drop the basket inside, no sweat. Or maybe he could just lay it beside the trash can, and the garbagepony would just—

"Hi, Spike!" a bright and cheery voice called from behind him.

"A-AAH!" Spike screamed before quickly catching his breath. "G-gosh, you nearly scared me, Cheerilee!"

Cheerliee giggled behind her hoof. "Sorry, Spike. I'm here to see if Twilight has any books on the history of Canterlot. My students are putting on a play next month, and I want to see if there is any information about Canterlot I've missed."

"Oh…" Spike replied. "Yeah, she's in, but I wouldn't go in there if I were you. Twi got word of a brand new library classification system from Canterlot last night so we've been reorganizing books all day. Right now I bet Twilight can't even find the floor, much less your book."

Cheerilee sighed. "Oh well, I was really wanting to get this done today, but I guess I'll have to catch her tomorrow then. Thanks, and see you later, Spike." As the dark pink mare turned to leave, Spike started to head towards the aptly named Quills and Sofas before he realized he'd forgotten something.

The basket! He was still holding it!

Spike grunted in annoyance before running back and setting the moldy old thing on the ground. It was a few canterlengths away from the trash can, but that still counted right? Uneasy thoughts filled his head, but the dragon more or less shook it off. He had to get going anyway, before Twilight got suspicious at the amount of time he was wasting.

* * *

"Ugh! Every time I go there, _every time_! '_Oh, I'm sorry, we're fresh out of quills_,' he says. How can you be fresh out of quills? You only sell TWO things!" Spike was two degrees of anger away from blowing steam out his of nose. "Stupid Quills and Sofas… Stupid-"

A whiff of fresh lilac drifted past his snout, and Spike froze up. That glorious scent could have come from only one pony in Ponyville, and here he was looking stupid standing in the middle of the street. Was there still some cruddy old book dust on him? Augh! Why hadn't he thought to brush off his scales before he left the tree house? He was going out in public; he should've known better…

Spike's acute nostrils weren't wrong, and surely enough the most beautiful, kind, and generous pony in all of Equestria—in Spike's mind at least—came trotting along the street, magically levitating a few misshapen bundles behind her. The dragon heart skipped a beat as her large blue eyes widened slightly in recognition as she spotted him.

"Hello, Spikey-wikey. How are you today?" Rarity asked, tilting her head to the side.

Spike, however, was busy observing the way the motion of her head caused one of her luscious purple curls to bob up and down. _Oh, wait! Did Rarity just ask me a question? Oh, jeez… Wake up, Spike! Wake up! _

Spike rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Eh-heh… Oh nothing, Rarity. I was just walking. Around town. Walking… Nice day outside, you know?"

Rarity chuckled at his behavior. "Oh, indeed, it is a very lovely day outside. You know, if I wasn't so _engaged_ with work, I would think to round up the girls for a nice picnic, just to admire what a lovely day this is. But alas, I am but chained to the beauty of my work! I only had time to make a quick run for some more sketching supplies before I retire again."

Spike's face brightened that the mention of "supplies." "Hey, Rarity, would you mind if I borrow a few quills from you? Twilight is kinda in the middle of a cataloging storm right now, and we're running low on supplies."

"Why certainly, Spike. Let me see…" There was a pause as the white unicorn mentally dug through her bags. "Aha! Here we are! A dozen quills freshly purchased." The latter drifted slowly until they fell into Spike's outstretched claws.

"Gee, thanks, Rarity! You're the most generous pony in all of Equestria. I lost hope in getting any new ones after that pony from Quills and Sofas said that he was outta quills."

"Wha-what?" Rarity gasped. "That cannot be true, darling. You see, I just left Quills and Sofas not even an hour ago, and there were quills _galore_ behind the counter, and-" Her voice faltered as she watched the dragon deflate a little in front of her. Her face began to darken. "And that-that _unscrupulous_… That-oh, _Davenport Inkfeather_!" Obviously the stallion must have shown one of his ugly prejudices again. It was well known that Quills and Sofas didn't sell to donkeys…but to dragons also?

Nevertheless, like the true lady she was, the white unicorn readily composed herself. "Well, Spike," she said. "I'm afraid we will just have to rectify his mistake. Come along if you please."

As much as the dragon would have loved to spend some extra time with Rarity, he couldn't help but think of Twilight battling the sea of books alone in the library, stuck with dwindling supplies. "Sorry, Rarity, but I have to get back to Twilight. Maybe we can see that pony another day?" He couldn't help but to slip in a small amount of hope into that last sentence.

"Ah, very well, darling…" Rarity sighed. "But I hate seeing that cretin take advantage of poor ponies—_er _dragons, such as yourself. It isn't acceptable. Darling, you must come and see me tomorrow at the boutique. We must correct this at once. Hmm… What do you say? Tomorrow… Around noon?"

"Sure thing, Rarity. I'll see you then," Spike smiled after hastily mentally checking both his and Twilight schedules for the next day.

"Wonderful. We _rendezvous_ at noon. Ta-ta, Spikey-wikey."

The dragon simply waved as he watched the white unicorn walk off. Truly, she was indeed a rarity. Spike only hated the fact that he could never express the way he felt without being in a situation where he was plummeting to his death. It had been years since he had first seen her, and he had grown so much now that he could actually look down upon her. But, like the younger version of himself he could never seem to open up. Oh well…

Spike once more took notice of the way her silky indigo tail bounced like a delayed spring while her supple white flanks swayed from side to side—

**WANT**!

At that instant, pure shock caused all of the blood in Spike's veins to turn into ice. What-what just happened? A second ago, he was waving goodbye to Rarity, and now—Ouch! Spike was thrown out of his musings for a moment as he felt something sharp poke the center of his left palm. Looking down, Spike gasped.

Somehow, his claws had extended themselves. Their blade-like points gleamed a little under the strong sunlight. Immediately, he flexed them, admiring the way they sliced through the air. He was grinning before he realized that his teeth were already bared and showing. And were his muscles usually this way? All tensed up as if he was ready to- Spike winced.

-to spring?

Oh gosh, he was about to spring, like some predator in the Everfree. He was actually about to _spring_. And-and Rarity and…

He gulped, but now wasn't the time to panic. He had to get home. For the next few seconds, the townsponies of Ponyville could only see a vague purple blur speeding through the streets. A few years ago, this would have been a surprise, but not after experiencing the wave of living destruction that was Rainbow Dash.

When he finally arrived, Spike slammed the front door behind him and rested his back on it, breathing heavily.

"Spike! You're back!" Twilight greeted. In the short time he had been gone, Twilight had made a lot of progress, but the dragon could see that her face was developing that scrunchy quality it usually got when she was slowly starting to become overwhelmed with something. It was time to force her to take a breather and finally have a lunch break.

After dumping the quills on a nearby table, he headed into the kitchen. Like clockwork, Spike immediately reached into cabinets and started pulling out ingredients for a salad. In a lower cabinet he took out a large bowl of gems for himself. As he worked on the salad, Spike took a few glances out the window now and then. He noted gratefully that the city garbageponies seemed to have emptied the rubbish. Thank Celestia. Now he wouldn't have to constantly think about— Then his emerald eyes widened.

No. Oh no…

There, resting quietly in the bin for returned books was the basket. To his horror it seemed to be mocking him lying there, as if to say…

_You didn't think it was going to be_ that _easy, did you_?

* * *

So I've decided to post this story of fanfiction since I've already done so on fimfiction. Hope you like!


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, Spike woke up twenty minutes late. The result of this was a lecture from Twilight about the importance of being punctual-which ironically delayed him about fifteen minutes more. His old basket was both safely and shamefully concealed underneath his bed. Spike had felt more than a little uncomfortable about lying to Twilight (_especially since she had the tendency to find out about everything anyway_). He would have to tell her sooner or later, but he supposed it would have to be later. The library was opening soon, and there was little time to get ready.

Twenty-five minutes later, with teeth brushed, scales buffed, and looking extraordinarily handsome—in Spike's completely unbiased opinion of course—the purple dragon arrived downstairs. There in the kitchen sat Twilight, frowning over a scroll with her usual coffee and oats by her side.

"Not so good news?" Spike asked, while cutting himself a few slices of bread.

Twilight groaned.

"_Guess not_." Spike mumbled to himself.

"No, that's not it," Twilight shook her head. "The news is not as bad as it is annoying. Since Shining is officially a Prince now and I'm his sister, _somehow _this makes me a part of the royal '_social scene_.' Every few weeks, I get invitations to all sorts of upper class events, and every time I respond with an apology about why I wouldn't be able to make it. It's been years, and they keep sending these to me. _When will they finally get the message_?" Growled the purple unicorn. Spike rolled his eyes. Even after all of these years, adventures, and tons of friendship reports, if there were no Princess Celestia, Pinkie Pie, or any of her other friends involved, Twilight Sparkle was NOT going to a party.

"Aw, come on, Twilight. You're making a big deal about something really simple," Spike began. This was probably going to be dangerous, but he had to say it. "Why don't you actually go to one of these things? How could it hurt?" The dragon was about to say 'one of these parties' instead of 'one of these things,' but he didn't want to accidentally summon a certain cotton candy pink mare.

* * *

At the exact moment inside a very warm kitchen filled with the heavenly smell of freshly baked morning muffins, Pinkie Pie's head suddenly shot up.

"Hmm…" She raised a hoof and tapped her chin. "I seem to be having a case of itchy hoof today…" Then her baby blue eyes narrowed ominously.

"You may have won this round, my scaly friend…Oh you silly-willy, you might stop the future, but you can never stop the party!"

Pinkie Pie paused.

"Wait! Or is that the other way around?"

She shrugged as if to say 'Oh well!' and happily bounced off.

* * *

Now it was Twilight's turn to sigh. "_How could it hurt_? You know, we're on a tight schedule here with the library, Spike. And what if Princess Celestia needs me? I have to be here! What if something goes wrong again? I couldn't have that on my conscious." She took a gulp of what was left of her coffee and closed a bag of owl treats which had been left open for Owlowiscious the evening before.

"Well, let me have that invitation so _I'll_ get a chance to go out in a while. Jeez, I mean, this is almost like Moondancer's par-" However, the dragon was unfortunately interrupted by the door of the library bursting open and releasing a flood of small woodland creatures. Spike and Twilight said nothing as various species of animals all began to squeak and crow all at once. Honestly, between Discord, parasprites, dragons, and Pinkie Pies, these kinds of random events in Ponyville were almost expected.

"Oh dear… Oh dear…" a gentle voice murmured as a delicate yellow pegasus galloped inside. "I'm so terribly sorry, Twilight. I think my animal friends all got a little too excited while heading over here."

"N-no problem, Fluttershy…" Twilight replied with a rather painful smile.

"Oh, no really. I do so hate being a bother, but I need your help and-" The yellow pegasus was suddenly distracted by a red woodpecker intent on transforming Twilight's interior walls into Swiss cheese. "Oh no. Please stop, Mr. Woody. It's not nice to make holes in other ponies' houses."

If Spike had less self-preservation, he would have burst into laughter at the way Twilight's right eye began to twitch uncontrollably. He really didn't want her to notice how three mice were playing hot-potato with one of her inkwells in the corner.

"I'm really sorry, Twilight. We _are _being a bother, aren't we?" Fluttershy could barely keep a tremor from her voice. Her soft pink mane fell down to hide her face.

"No…no…" Twilight lied, placing a forearm comfortingly on Fluttershy's shoulder. "It's alright, Fluttershy. We-we were thinking about putting in another window soon anyway, right Spike?"

Spike nodded vigorously.

"However, I have to ask why you are here so early?"

Fluttershy abruptly stood up, accidentally knocking Twilight onto her back. "Goodness, I hope I'm not too late! Oh Fluttershy, how could you forget the reason you're here?" She shifted one wing from her buttercream side to reveal a small squirmy body. With the dexterity and gentleness of an experienced nurse, she picked up the creature by her teeth and settled him carefully onto a rug.

"Wow, what happened, Fluttershy?" Spike asked, kneeling over the convulsing squirrel. The other creatures quietly began to back away—all except Angel Bunny, who sat by Fluttershy's side, glaring at everypony as if everypony was at fault for this.

"I-I don't know. I found him yesterday a few canterlengths from my house. The bite wound he has looks like it's from a v-vermicious knid… Bites from those are very serious, so I carried him to my house right away! I did everything I knew to help Mr. Squirrel, but nothing worked. I didn't know how to h-help him, but then Angel reminded me of you and the library… Oh, he is in s-so much pain. I-I couldn't b-bear to watch…" Her large aqua eyes sparkled with tears at this point.

"A vermicious knid?!" Twilight's eyes widened, suddenly on her hooves again. "Those are really dangerous, venomous, magical creatures! If one ever comes to Ponyville, Celestia knows how many ponies may be hurt!"

"Oh, come on, Twi!" Spike blurted out. "There are no vermicious knids here!"

"And how would you know that?" Twilight snapped.

Spike averted his eyes. He could not exactly explain how he knew that there were no vermicious knids hiding in the shadows. That foggy section of his mind let him know that no other predator would come within a hundred canterlengths of Ponyville or Sweet Apple Acres while he lived here, now that he had gotten to a size where he somewhat mattered. It was a mutual exchange: no creature entered his grounds, and Spike did likewise. Everything would remain perfectly fine unless some creature suddenly decided to expand its territory, and who knows what would happen then? Spike had secretly read many books on the subject, and so far he knew it wouldn't be pretty.

Still, Spike wondered how Twilight would react if she knew of his strange awareness of the whereabouts of other creatures. Probably she would strap some contraption on his head and study him.

"Spike…" Twilight sighed. "I know you may think that everything is fine, but we need to know for sure. Why don't you look up some information about the venom of vermicious knids while I look up spells on how to detect them."

Spike almost countered before biting back his retort and heading off to the magical creature section of the library. Many birds, deer, and other small mammals hurriedly scampered out of his path. His mind wondered if they too could sense the predator-territory thing—maybe not, as he thought back to poor Mr. Squirrel suffering on the library floor. He was pretty sure Mr. Squirrel would have gone the other way if he had sensed that a vermicious knid was coming.

What concerned him was that the vermicious knid had sensed Spike and had itself gone the other way.

* * *

A little after noon, Spike found himself trailing behind Rarity through the streets of Ponyville. His mind was all a jumble: one section of his brain worried itself over his upcoming confrontation with Davenport Inkfeather, the owner of Quills and Sofas, while another made him shift his eyes on everything around him but the mare walking in front. Whatever had happened yesterday he would make sure that it wouldn't be repeated.

"Ah, here we are!" Rarity exclaimed. Spike looked up in surprise to see that they were indeed standing before Quills and Sofas. Had his mind been _that _occupied not to notice this?

"If you want, Spikey, I can speak for you although I am quite surprised you didn't have Twilight join you."

Spike almost laughed out loud. If he had told Twilight about this, Quills and Sofas' new name would be Lit Match and Gasoline. Davenport himself would most likely be transmuted into something that would be easy to squash under a hoof.

"It's fine, Rarity. I can speak for myself." To his surprise, the white unicorn nodded once in calm acceptance before pushing open the door.

The interior of the store was populated by sofas all lined up in various shapes, sizes, and colors. A beige earth stallion with a brown mane was busy sweeping behind the counter. He quickly looked up when he heard the bell above the mantel jingle.

"Miss Rarity…" he cooed. "It's only been a day. Surely you haven't run out of quills already? You have, haven't you, or maybe you've come back to see little old-" His green eyes widened as he saw Spike beside her. "…me."

"No, Mr. Davenport," Rarity replied coolly. "I'm afraid I am not here to purchase any of your merchandise. My friend here, however, might be interested."

Davenport's eyes darted from one stony face to the other as if to decipher whether this was all a joke. Unfortunately, this was not. "I think I already told your friend that I am fresh out of quills yesterday," the beige stallion replied. "And shipment schedules are wholly unreliable, so-"

"Oh that's okay," Spike interrupted with an unnervingly toothy smile. "I didn't come here for quills at all. I'm looking for a sofa."

"A-a SOFA?" Davenport gasped.

"B-but darling, didn't we come here for-" Rarity started, but Spike quickly put a talon to his lips. Thinking back, maybe he should've told her exactly what he was going to do.

"As I was saying, I want to buy a sofa. The one at home is really getting old—not good atmosphere for when company comes over, you know? Hmm…" The dragon squinted as he gazed over the sea of sofas. "How about that one?" He pointed to a powdered blue two-seater with ridiculously overstuffed pillows.

"T-t-that one?" Davenport stammered. "I-I believe that one has already been sold. Sold to a kindly old gentlestallion in fact."

"Too bad…" Spike murmured. "Well, how about that one?" He tilted his head towards a large red sofa.

"That one has been sold also, I'm afraid." Davenport smiled.

"This one?"

"That one was bought by a little old mare, the poor thing."

"Uh…how about that one?"

"Ooo… That sofa is being used to stop that loose floorboard over there from squeaking."

"Jeez…" Spike sighed. He then threw himself back on a nearby black and white sofa. "I didn't know that Quills and Sofas had so many sales. You're really raking in the dough, aren't you? I guess the one I'm lying on is sold too?"

The owner of Quills and Sofas only smiled. "Yes, indeed, it is."

"Well that's too bad. I kinda like this sofa." Spike bounced up and down a little. "It's really comfortable. If it hadn't already been sold, this could've been my molting sofa. Hey Davenport, do you know what molting is?"

The beige stallion suddenly looked rather frightened. "Er…no… I really don't."

"Molting is when your new scales grow under your old scales, and of course your old scales have to come off to make room for the new ones, so you get to peel off your old ones. Sounds like fun, huh?"

The dragon looked over to see Davenport leaning back with an expression of utmost horror. Even Rarity behind him looked a little green, and Spike felt sorry that she had been present to hear this. However, he had to finish what he'd started.

"The thing is that since all of the old skin has to come off, it takes a really long time. I used to do it by hand, but one year I found out that if I just roll myself back and forth on another object, _like a sofa_, the whole thing would be over with much faster. Ever since then, I've had my molting sofa—guess you can see why my sofa now doesn't look so hot, right?"

Davenport's ear was now twitching.

"And guess what the—oh, what is this?" The dragon held up something translucent that shone a faint purple. "Oh look, I think it's one of my scales."

Davenport's eyes widened. "Oh no, oh no, oh no…."

"Hey, here goes another one! I guess it's that time of the year already."

"Please, please, get off my sofa, dragon. Please, get off my sofa…" The owner of Quills and Sofas was pleading with him now.

"Hey Davenport, do you think I can have a favor just this once? Do you think I could just…right here on this sofa? I swear I'll clean up afterwards, I promise-" But this was too much for the stallion. He galloped forward to buck Spike right off the sofa before the dragon neatly ducked out the way, leaving the stallion to overshoot his target and faceplant himself straight onto the opposite wall.

"You-you insolent creature!" he screamed, face bright red and mane a twisted mess. "Get off of my property this instant or so help me Celestia I will go out and fetch the city constable!"

"I will gladly get off this thing…" Spike hissed. "…the second you tell me the reason why you lie and refuse to sell to me! I'm a paying customer just like anypony else."

Both males were beet red and standing barely a canterlength away from one another, both huffing angrily. Rarity, who had long since gone into a false faint, now had one blue eye open and watching in rapt attention.

Davenport groaned and stamped his hoof in frustration. "Like _anypony _else… Oh come on, really? Has..?" He turned to Rarity, who was now standing, and pointed a hoof. "You, you there, aren't you a halfling? Wasn't your father an earth pony? You should've explained things to this creature."

Rarity gulped in surprise. "_Moi_? I-I don't know anything about this!"

"Of course," Davenport drawled, a heavy note of annoyance in his voice. "The old ways aren't taught anymore. It's sad, really. Generations are born and raised with no clue about the true history of their ancestors. Do you know who were the first to tame the land of Equestria? Well, it surely wasn't the unicorns, those sissy coneheads who kept to the region around Canterlot, and it definitely wasn't the pegasi—as long as they had the sky, who cared about what happened down here on the surface? No, it was the earth ponies. We were the ones who had to beat back the hideous monsters of this world to grow food for us all."

The stallion smiled. "We were strong in those days. We had to be to defeat timberwolves, griffins, cockatrices, minotaurs, and yes…even dragons. We all had to do this without the use of horns and wings—and that is what made us stronger."

"Everything was going well for a time—before the Princesses came. When they arrived, they suddenly wanted integration, stronger ties between tribes. Well, we earth ponies remembered The Great Cold, and we agreed to this. After all, unicorns and pegasi were still _ponies_… But the Princesses didn't just mean integration among ponies. Soon we had strangers from Donkonia and Minotaurus and other strange lands walking amongst us. Imagine how we reacted with these hideous beings suddenly _existing _all around us, trying to fellowship with us with their strange ways? Of course, riots broke out. Till this day, I don't understand why the Princesses didn't expect it."

"They had to intervene, however," Davenport sighed. "So, we were forced to accept these strangers into or midst. Years flew by, and most of us began to accept the new way of life imposed by the Princesses. However, there were a few who did not. These were the Few who remembered the glory of the olden days. You wouldn't believe what they had introduced into society by then; by then ponies had debased themselves in the madness. There were now mules, zebrulas, and…other abominations that I shall not name. The Few debated concerning what to do about this disgusting turn of events, before they came up with the simple farmer's way."

The beige stallion turned toward Spike and Rarity. "Do you know the simple farmer's way of getting rid of a bramble that is destroying your garden?"

"That is it! I will not stand to listen to this outdated nonsense any longer!" Rarity cried. "You, sir…" She growled, stomping up to the taller stallion. "You, sir, are _THE _most abominable and disgusting stallion I've ever had the displeasure in meeting." With a startlingly loud smack, she slammed her hoof across his cheek.

"_You are the bramble_…" she whispered.

"And you are one of the most beautiful halflings I've ever come across," Davenport grinned, while rubbing his rapidly darkening cheek. "The only pity is the deformity you have on your forehead."

Spike could feel Rarity's light blue magic dragging him across the floor of the shop. He struggled against it, but he concluded that Rarity was like Twilight in the way that strong emotion must give her magic a boost. He couldn't grasp his feelings. In one second, he felt like tearing his claws into everything in that store, and in the next he wanted to be alone to vent his frustration at being once again reminded that he wasn't normal—that he wasn't a pony, or anything even resembling a pony.

In his haze, Spike found that, incredibly, Davenport was still speaking. "The farmer's way of getting rid of a bramble is simple," the stallion began. "You have to isolate it from the crops it wishes to corrupt, and you have to cut off its food and water supply. Soon it won't be able to sustain itself. Look around you, dragon, and count how many zebrula you see around town today."

Davenport stopped and suddenly sighed. "You know, I don't hate you, dragon—if indeed you believe that. The fact is that you are the bramble and this town is the crop. You've already destroyed it once. Can't you see that my selling to you is like my encouraging you to be here? It would be my way of sustaining you, and as the good farmer, I just can't do that."

In all but a second, Spike felt Rarity's immobilizing magic release him. He was outside again, in the middle of the street. He was numb, but in more ways than one. To the side of him, Spike heard the snuffling noises one makes when one cries and yet is trying not to cry. He mechanically reached in for a hug but was brushed aside.

"N-not in public," Rarity sniffed. "A l-lady _never_…" Then, with incredible effort, she straightened up and flicked away much of the excess moisture from her face, looking amazingly almost the same as before she had ever set foot inside Quills and Sofas that day. "However, if you still want to talk, I promptly invite you to tea. Come along please."


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks to Spike's green fire breath, tea was ready in under a minute. Spike, unaffected by the heat of near boiling water, took a cup directly in his claws while Rarity levitated hers onto a nearby side table. They sat there in silence for a moment, avoiding each other's eyes. The events at Quills and Sofas still were too fresh in their minds. A minute of uncomfortable shuffling went by before Rarity shattered the ice.

"Spike, dear, I just want to say that I am terribly sorry for what happened today," Rarity stated. "I had no idea all of that was going to happen."

Spike slightly turned his head away. "It's okay, Rarity. There's no way any of this could've been your fault."

"Oh, but it is! You see, I had already known that that Davenport fellow didn't sell to donkeys. I should have foreseen something like this coming to pass…" She shuddered. "I just… I didn't think. Oh, Spikey-wikey, could you ever forgive me?"

Spike turned to see her large deep blue eyes threatening to swallow him whole. The dragon's heart squirmed a little inside him. Here was _Rarity _actually showing concern about the state of _his _relationship with _her_. Sure, it was their _platonic _relationship for which she was asking forgiveness, but still… _Still_!

"Sure, Rarity…" he breathed. "I could never be mad at you, but…"

"B-but?" The unicorn stammered.

"-but I don't want you to feel guilty over something that was totally not your fault. I mean, it's-" The rest of his speech was cut off by Rarity enveloping him in a hug; his cheeks blazed a curious shade of magenta.

Rarity grinned. "Oh Spikey, you are the sweetest gentlestall—er, _dragon_, I know."

"I-I'm the only dragon you know," he choked.

"_Details_, darling," she replied knowingly. The unicorn then drew back, her face changing from open amusement to her usual, more guarded veneer. Spike had long since dubbed it 'the business face.' "However first thing's first and we must settle this Davenport matter once and for all. We shall need a plan of action. I suggest we first explain that hideous cur's actions to Twilight, and then we write a lengthy complaint to Mayor Mare. However, we may need to stop by the press first…"

"Don't bother with Mayor Mare," Spike grumbled. "I'm pretty sure she knows already. To get anything done, we'll need to aim somewhere else."

Rarity gasped. "Why, Spike! Why would you say such a thing? Mayor Mare would not let such awful things happen under her jurisdiction, if she knew such things were happening. Mayor Mare has been nothing but benevolent and kind to both you and everypony else in town. To suggest anything else is downright disrespectful…and _rude_."

"Come on, even you Rarity knew that that pony didn't sell to donkeys. How much more does Mayor Mare know?" Spike knew that the only way to get his point across was to use cold, hard logic. Living with Twilight Sparkle did have the effect of raising one's basic level of deduction. "Remember how many donkeys and mules live in Ponyville? You can't tell me that any one of them has ever walked into Quills and Sofas and has gotten any service. It's obvious that once many of them found out the reason why, they would've gone to town hall for help… But still, Quills and Sofas is open and running like usual. What else can explain that?"

Rarity couldn't immediately think of a counter to his argument, so she took advantage of the tea in her hooves and took a long sip, giving herself time to think. Her mind attempted to poke holes into his statement, but she couldn't make very many. Uneasily, she thought back to all the times where the mayor had helped them. The mayor had erected memorials in honor of all the times the gang had saved Equestria; there was even a section of Town Hall dedicated to Spike himself after he had saved the Crystal Empire. How could she secretly be a speciest when she had shown so much favor towards them?

"Still," she replied, finally. "Mayor Mare has always been so supportive of us. It is rather…_difficult_…for me to see her doing…that."

"Politics is sort of a messy thing," Spike said offhandedly. "She could let this thing go on because she secretly agrees with Davenport, or she could let this thing go on because of other stuff. You never know, but it doesn't matter because in the end complaining to her isn't going to help. And about her supporting you-" Spike grinned. "You guys are the _Elements of Harmony_. Twilight was a student and is a personal friend of the_Princesses_. The mayor has to be stupid to _not _show favor to you guys."

Rarity sat very still, her mouth opening and closing for a few moments before she remembered that that was terribly unladylike and stopped. "S-spike, darling," she gulped. "How ever did you learn to be so…_observant_?"

"I lived for a while in Canterlot Castle itself, remember? Plus, you get to learn a lot of things if you listen to what goes on in the royal court after a while."

"Indeed…" Rarity took another sip of her rapidly cooling tea. A short silence between them was broken by the chime of the town's clock tower signaling that it was two in the afternoon. "Oh dear," she huffed. "I suppose I'll have to get back to work. And I completely forgot to prepare afternoon snacks for Sweetie and her little friends…"

"Let me help-" Spike began before Rarity shushed him with a hoof.

"No, you've done well enough, darling. Besides, I'm positive that Twilight will squeeze all the housework she can out of you once you return." The white unicorn's smile flickered a little. "However, before you leave, I want to ask you something."

"Anything," the dragon replied.

"Well, er-" Rarity looked uncomfortable. "This question has been bothering me for some time now, and I know it's quite silly, but I…" She stopped, breathing unevenly. "I have to ask. Spike…"

"Yes?" The dragon's green eyes widened in anticipation.

"That thing... That thing back there you said about the molting sofa. Was that true?"

* * *

"Wait! What?" a squeaky voice cried.

"Hey, Apple Bloom! I think your thingamabob's not working," another voice sighed. "_Again_."

A third voice grumbled in annoyance. "Maybe because y'all keep _breakin_' it…" Apple Bloom shoved Scootaloo to the side and examined the fruit of her labor. "Ah don't appreciate y'all messing up mah hard work here."

"Well, Rarity just said something about a mulching sofa, and I know that can't be right," Sweetie Belle stated, confused.

"Nah-uh, she said something about a molting sofa," Scootaloo corrected. "That is, if Apple Bloom's Spy Master 2.0 is actually working right."

"It's fine," Apple Bloom replied, valiantly defending her newest invention. "There ain't nothing wrong with it. Must've been your ears that misheard something."

"My ears are fine, and I heard the words 'molting sofa,'" Scootaloo reiterated.

Sweetie Belle laughed. "Molting sofa? That doesn't make any sense."

Scootaloo glared. "As if 'mulching sofa' does?"

"Do you even know what 'mulch' even means?"

"Um, guys?" a new voice called out. "We really like your company and all, but standing here and listening to you argue is not gonna get us our cutie marks!"

At this, the three fillies who had just entered their teenage years looked down in shame. How could they have forgotten about Pumpkin and Pound?

"We're sorry y'all," Apple Bloom apologized. "As your official Cutie Mark Crusader Guides, our mission is to guide y'all through the long and difficult cutie mark process so you guys will know exactly who ya are and what y'all s'posed to be, not yappin' and hollerin' over nonsense stuff."

"Aw, s'okay," Pumpkin Cake admitted. "I don't think Pound and me were gonna get our cutie marks by spying on Rarity anyways."

"You see," Scootaloo whispered over to Sweetie Belle. "I told you guys we should've gone ahead with the rocket idea."

"Ooo! Rocket idea! Rocket idea!" Pound fluttered his tan wings up and down in excitement.

Sweetie Belle facehoofed. "What? No! Come on! No rockets! Don't you remember what happened last time you two strapped rockets to something?"

"Yeah, Pound. I don't wanna spend the next two weeks stuck doing chores inside Sugarcube Corner—again," Pumpkin glared at her brother. He withered under her gaze and started to kick at the floor with his hooves.

"Okay…" he sighed. "I just feel bad for Spike and Sweetie Belle's sis down there. They say Mayor Mare won't help them with their problem… But I still like Scootaloo's rocket idea! It's super awesome, but then again all of Scootaloo's ideas are super awesome…" The colt ended his statement, casting a dreamy look in Scootaloo's direction.

"Um, guys…" Scootaloo whispered nervously. "T-the kid's doing it again. It's kinda creeping me out over here." Sweetie Belle giggled at her orange friend's obvious discomfort while Apple Bloom was in the midst of some serious thinking.

"Hey, Pound. Can ya repeat what y'all just said?" Apple Bloom asked.

"That Scootaloo's ideas are always awesome?"

"Nope. The one before that."

"That rockets are super awesome?" Pound said hopefully.

"Nooo! The one before that!" Apple Bloom yelled.

Pound cake thought hard. "Hmm… That Mayor Mare can't help Spike and Sweetie Belle's sis?"

"Yes!" Apple Bloom exclaimed so loudly that both Pumpkin and Pound nearly jumped out of their coats. "Cutie Mark Crusaders Problem Solvers! Y'all can do that to get your cutie marks."

"A cutie mark in problem solving?" Pumpkin Cake gently tapped her hoof on her chin in deep thought. "I don't think I've heard of anypony having that one. Maybe we're gonna be the first ones?"

"Wow…" Pound Cake's dark eyes gleamed. "Our cutie marks…"

"So everypony agrees then?" Sweetie Belle asked, looking around the room. "Alright then, Cutie Mark Crusaders!" She held up a white hoof.

"Cutie Mark Crusaders!" Four other hooves joined in.

* * *

By the time Spike had returned to the library, the situation had calmed down considerably. The majority of Fluttershy's menagerie had disappeared, and only ones left were Twilight, who was once again sitting down and reading, and Fluttershy, who was in the corner carefully spoon-feeding the now serene Mr. Squirrel something brown and mushy while Angel Bunny looked on in seething jealousy.

"You're back," Twilight stated mechanically, still deeply engrossed in her book.

"Oh, hi, Spike," Fluttershy greeted. "How was Rarity?"

"She's fine," Spike replied absentmindedly. "Hey, Twi, do you remember the name of our district governor?"

This direct question finally made Twilight put down her tome. Her face scrunched up in thought. "Hmm… I think his name is Bright... Wait! No… It's Golden, Golden Banner! He was appointed to the position maybe three years ago. But why are you asking about Golden Banner?" The purple mare questioned; her head tilted to the side.

"Um, I'll tell you later?" Spike replied weakly. If he had had the ability to sweat, he would have been streaming buckets under Twilight's searching gaze. The problem wasn't as much as Spike not wanting his friend/guardian/adoptive sister to know the truth, but his desire for him to be the one who ultimately handles the situation—especially if the problem was his to begin with. Telling Twilight now would result in her taking charge over everything, and he'd be relegated into "staying home and holding down the fort" or in other words, "doing nothing." By Celestia, in pony years he was an adult. By dragon standards, who knew? However, it was obvious that he had at least passed puberty. He was old enough to solve his own problems.

The two stared at each other until Twilight finally relented. "Alright, Spike," she moaned. "You win this time. I won't try to butt in into whatever scheme you're trying to pull."

Spike grinned a toothy smile at his success before heading over to a table and grabbing a sheet of parchment. "Oh, and don't try to read my mind like last time, Twi," he added. "That spell lets me look into yours too, and I really don't want to watch you fall down the stairs on your tenth birthday again."

Twilight groaned in response. She really had to research that spell's safeguard against reverse mind gazing. One of the things that had always bothered Twilight the most was the case of "not knowing." A primary goal in her life was to research, discover, prove, and then archive as much information as she possibly could. Not many could hide a secret from Twilight Sparkle, with the notable exception of a few—especially her Number One Assistant. The desire to find out whatever Spike had felt so important not to tell her burned inside her, but Twilight had patience. She could wait. _Somewhat_.

Twilight's lavender eyes watched the dragon's face as he furiously scribbled across the parchment. '_Hmm… It must be important_,' she thought. _'He's sticking his tongue out_.' She continued to watch as he carefully sealed the letter and blew his magical fire upon it, immediately sending it far away. '_The direction is north northwest. He's sending it Canterlot. Is it for Princess Celestia? No. He had asked about Golden Banner. Golden Banner's offices are located in the castle_…' She racked her mind as to reasons why Spike would want to contact a busy pony like Golden Banner. Suddenly Spike's emerald eyes were back on her—almost as if he knew what she was thinking. Blushing profusely, Twilight hid her head behind the open pages of her book.

"Uh, Twi?" Spike raised an eyebrow. "Why are you reading Thirty Ways to Attract a Stallion?"

If Twilight was blushing before, now it seemed as if her whole face had turned into a tomato.

"Because Spike…" she growled. "I have decided to take your advice. Fluttershy and I were talking while you were gone, and she…she agreed with you." Incredulously, Spike turned to stare at Fluttershy. _How had she done the impossible in just a little under two hours?_

"Oh, I only mentioned that it was nice to go out sometimes, but only, um, if she wanted to." The butter yellow pegasus turned an adorable shade of pink under all the staring.

"I'm going," Twilight seethed. "I'm going to prove to you, Spike, that I'm not a stick-in-the-mud. I can be social around other ponies."

"And the reason for the book?" Spike asked.

"Because," Twilight gritted her teeth. "It's formal. I'll need a date."

The purple unicorn barely finished her sentence before Spike burst into laughter. "Oh-my-Celestia-you-Twilight-on-a-_date_?" He rolled upon the floor. "Twilight actually on a date! What are you guys going to talk about? The Dewey Decimal System?"

"Well, I'm glad that you find it so funny, mister," Twilight smiled wickedly. "Because you're coming with me."

Spike stopped. "Wait. Did you just say-"

"You're my direct contact to Princess Celestia in case of any trouble. I couldn't leave you here, of course. So this means you're going to have to come with us." Twilight's smile grew in a rather disturbing way. "I hope you have an idea of whom you're bringing as your date, Spike."

"D-date?" Spike stammered, eyes growing wide.

Oh, buck.


	4. Chapter 4

"Are you sure about this, Twi?" Spike asked, walking up beside the lavender mare.

"Of course, Spike. Thirty Ways to Attract a Stallion was written only a year ago by Hitch Smith, one of Equestria's premier dating and relationship experts. I did do some research on him before reading, you know. He's had many years of experience setting up prospective mares and stallions together, and his vast knowledge about the subject makes him perfect in this situation." Twilight grinned confidently as she trotted down the street. "Now to find some prospective stallions…"

Spike's brows furrowed in deep thought. "I'm not so sure about this. I just don't think that ponies can base their whole dating lives off of what some guy writes down in a book."

"_Spike_…" Twilight sighed. "I appreciate your thoughts about the subject, but I think I'm going with the stallion who has the years of experience and multiple awards to his name. Besides, shouldn't you be out finding a partner for the Midsummer Moon Gala yourself?"

At this, the dragon smirked and stuck out his chest. "Oh, I'm already taking care of that, Twilight, so don't you worry about my partner." Truthfully, the dragon had no idea what he was going to do, but at least he knew the identity of the mare he wanted to ask out. This meant that he had a much better attack plan than Twilight, who was just going to shoot around in the dark.

Twilight rolled her eyes in response to his garish display of bravado. "Well I just wish you good luck, Casanova. _You're really going to need it_." The latter she whispered under her breath. Unfortunately, the dragon's acute hearing caught that last statement.

"Hey!" Spike yelled in indignation. "You're so sure of yourself, Twi. Well I want to see how well that book of yours works." With this he added a sardonic smirk. "There's a pony sitting right over there. Why don't you ask him out?" One of his talons pointed to a dark-maned, bluish-gray stallion who was quietly resting in front of a coffee shop, reading a newspaper.

"Fine," Twilight spat, cutting her eyes at her assistant. "I just may do that. Watch and learn, Spike, and I just may let you borrow the book for yourself later." Then, while ignoring her snickering assistant, Twilight trotted over towards the unsuspecting stallion. As his bluish-gray form came closer, her insides began to squirm. After all, her entire life's experience with the opposite sex had mostly included her father, her B.B.B.F.F., Spike, and a few stale jokes among the palace guards during one of her late night research runs. That really didn't help much in this situation.

Still, Hitch Smith's number one word of advice was "Confidence is key," and Twilight had plenty of confidence. _Right_? Gathering up her thoughts, Twilight remembered Pro Tip Number Five: Attract Stallions by Making the First Move. _Let your stallion know that you are interested in him…_

The first indication that the unlucky pony in front of the coffee shop had that something was horribly wrong was an enormous, dark shadow creeping up behind him and enveloping his lean form. His ice blue eyes widened in fear before he screamed and threw his newspaper in the air.

"Hi!" Twilight greeted, giving the frightened pony a winning smile.

The stallion threw up his arms in self-defense. "Please, please, don't hurt me!" he cried.

Twilight frowned. Pro Tip Number Twenty-seven, Just Smile, wasn't working. Quickly, she switched to another tip: Compliment Your Stallion._ After all, everypony loves to be flattered every once in a while…_

"Um…" Twilight's brain was trying to find something—anything—to keep the situation from becoming too awkward. "What a…an interesting…" Her eyes furiously darted around searching for something until… "Cutie mark? Oh yes, what an interesting cutie mark you have. Can you tell me what it means?"

The stallion gazed up at Twilight's leering form from his quivering fetal position on the ground. Having not been robbed or beaten thus far, he took the liberty of asking the stalking shadow a question. "W-who are you?"

"Oh, sorry about that. I'm Twilight Sparkle. And your name is?" Her face was still stretched in a too wide smile, but mentally Twilight was kicking her own flank. She should have gotten introductions out the way at the very beginning. So far she was absolutely screwing up the book's advice.

"Lucky Clover," he answered glumly. "Hey look, are you trying to sell me something here? If so, I'm not interested."

"What? No! No, I'm not selling anything." Twilight scowled. The purple unicorn was about to go further until, with a small huff, she gave up. At this point, it was awkward enough already, and besides, Pro Tip Number Twelve stated that stallions respected honesty. "Alright, look," Twilight began. "Tomorrow night is the sixth annual Midsummer Moon Gala, a celebration in honor of Princess Luna's moon which hasn't been regularly observed in over a thousand years. This year I have decided to attend, but I need a partner. I came here today with the intent to ask you whether you'd like to accompany me."

When she finished, both stared at each other: Lucky Clover's face held a curious mixture of suspicion and disbelief while Twilight's was both tired and expectant.

"So…you're serious?" Lucky Clover raised an eyebrow.

"Well…yes. Yes, I am," the unicorn's face brightened considerably. _Oh wow, this was really going to work? This was-_

"Alright then, twenty bits and I'll do it."

Now it was Twilight's turn to show suspicion and disbelief. "Are you serious?"

"Yes, indeed," Lucky Clover smiled. "You need a stallion to be your partner for the night, and I feel like that should cost twenty bits." He grinned before the supposedly desperate mare.

He didn't notice Twilight's face turn dangerously crimson.

* * *

Spike chortled to himself. It was going to take hours for that Lucky Blower or whatever-his-name-was to disentangle himself from that tree. After three more unsuccessful attempts at asking out a stallion—leaving Twilight very dispirited and Thirty Ways to Attract a Stallion "donated" to another town's library—the two decided to take a break. As Twilight and Spike walked through town, it didn't take long for them to spot a familiar blonde earth pony behind an apple stand. Spike smiled in triumph. He felt a little horrible for it, but after hours of dealing with an increasingly despondent Twilight, now she was able to dump her mare problems on Applejack while he could finally be free to make his move on Rarity.

"Howdy, sugarcube!" called Applejack. Today had been an exceptional day in the apple business. Nearly all of her wares had been sold, and therefore, the orange earth pony was much more cheerful than usual. "Ya won't believe how business's been booming today. Why, it's the first time mah whole cart's been emptied! Big Mac here had to run back to the farm three times for-" It was here that the attentive Applejack noticed her friend's downcast countenance.

"Uh, Twilight? Why the long face?"

Rather ashamedly, Twilight mumbled something in a voice so low it would've made Fluttershy jealous.

"Come again? Ah didn't catch that."

'_Oh for Luna's sake_,' Spike grumbled to himself. "Applejack," he began. "Twilight's been-"

"I'm a grown mare, and I can't ask out a stallion!" Twilight blurted out, interrupting the casual conversations of over half of the ponies present. "Asking out another pony is a skill normally learned by the average pony's late adolescence or at the very most, early adulthood. If I had fully realized the social implications of my decision at the time not to pursue…"

While Twilight rambled on, Applejack quickly pulled Spike to the side.

"Spike, what the hay is goin' on here? Can ya tell me why Twilight's actin' nuttier than a squirrel in an acorn tree?"

Spike sighed. "Alright, look. Twi's been having some trouble asking a stallion out for this big social thing she's going to. So far, she's asked four stallions, and so far each reaction has been worse than the last."

Applejack winced. "How bad was it?"

Spike stared at her. "Just bad. Don't ask."

"Hey, what's up with Twilight?" a new voice questioned. With nearly identical shrieks of surprise, both Spike and Applejack looked up to see an amused cyan pegasus hovering above them.

"Consarn it, Rainbow Dash! I told y'all not to do that!" Applejack hollered while holding her hoof against her hammering heart.

"B-but you should've seen the look on your faces!" Rainbow Dash laughed, rolling around on the air above them as if it were solid. "Really, AJ, you need to learn how to take a few jokes every once In a while."

Applejack stomped her hoof and glared upwards at the offending pegasus in response. "Well maybe y'all need to stop being so gosh darn immature and learn some good ole respect and responsibility for once. Those two never hurt nopony!"

Spike, knowing full well the time that would be wasted if he let those two continue, wisely chose to interrupt their banter. "Hey, girls?" he shouted before gesturing over to their lavender unicorn friend. "Aren't you forgetting about somepony?"

"Oh my sweet Celestia, Twilight!" Without a moment to spare, the orange mare rushed over to the side of the still rambling Twilight. "Whatever it is, sugarcube, Ah'm sure it'll be alright."

"No, no, it's not! I've just discovered that I'm extremely behind in natural equine social development. What's worse is that I would have never figured it out if Spike hadn't challenged me to go to that stupid gala. At the rate at which I'm progressing, I'll be one of the few ponies all alone once I reach the age where the average pony seeks a lifelong companion-"

"Er…what is she saying now?" Rainbow Dash rubbed the side of her head in obvious confusion.

"She can't get a date…" Spike mumbled for the umpteenth time.

Suddenly, Applejack's verdant eyes shot open. "Wait a minute… Ah got an idea. Since Twilight's been having a rough time findin' somepony, why don't we find one for her?" Her honest face broke into a wide smile. "Why, Ah have the perfect ponies in mind…"

"What?" This statement from her friend managed to break Twilight out of her nervous monologue. "You would do that, Applejack?"

"Uh, I'd hate to bust your bubble, AJ, but there's just one little thing you're forgetting," interjected Rainbow. "Twilight is an egghead. Whenever she goes out, more than likely she's gonna want to go out with another egghead. All you know are other farmers; it's not gonna work."

"Well," Applejack huffed. "Then tell us what your great idea is, Rainbow. Go ahead and show us all of them special someponies y'all meet while flying up in the upper atmosphere. Ah'm sure that'll be a hoot."

"So you think that you can do better than me?" The blue Pegasus glided slowly up to Applejack's sneering face.

"Hmm… Let me think about it…" Applejack stated, inching closer to meet Rainbow Dash's frown. "Why, yes I do…"

Twilight and Spike both looked upon the scene, slightly disturbed. "Spike… What's happening here?" Twilight asked.

Spike stood beside her, just as nonplussed as she. "I think you're going to get yourself a date."

* * *

Meanwhile, in a certain palace far to the north of Ponyville, a letter sat unopened inside Princess Celestia's private mailbox. Said private mailbox laid in one of her more secluded chambers, thoroughly hidden from prying eyes—well, thoroughly hidden from most of the castle's prying eyes. One set had already spotted its prize and quickly trotted over to investigate.

Light, fleeting hoofsteps rang out from the vintage marble floors—neither too fast nor too slow—their creator had had years of experience in stealth. A black bonnet bobbled up and down behind a yellow horn—the perfect disguise just in case another were to show up and start asking questions. The weathered feather duster in her mouth sealed the deal.

As the figure looked over into the golden box, she could feel the strength of the enchantment protecting the scroll inside. '_Well of course the princess isn't an idiot. There had to be a security spell protecting her most intimate of correspondences_,' the mare thought. The yellow horn in front of its borrowed servant's bonnet glowed a deep, dark blue. It was really a pity that the princess's defenses weren't as stringent as the figure had hoped. She had honestly been looking for a challenge.

* * *

Prince Blueblood sat impatiently outside his parlor. Every few minutes he resisted the urge to drag his legs across the wooden floors which would most assuredly damage his hooficure. Oh, how he hated when she was late. He didn't pay her to be late. Her being late led to uncomfortable visions of her getting captured and ultimately disclosing all of their secret dealings these past years. Due to his position as an official prince of Equestria, the stallion wasn't quite sure what his punishment would be—only that it would most likely be unpleasant. His heart only quieted when he saw her enter the room out of the corner of his eye.

"Where have you been?" spat the prince. "I don't pay you for tardiness."

"Your highness…" the mare cooed. Oh, how Blueblood both hated and respected the fact that he could never rattle her calm disposition. "I've brought what I can. Your auntie's mailbox was painfully dry this week." Her distinctive dark blue magic pulled out a tightly sealed scroll which was cleverly hidden inside an old feather duster.

Prince Blueblood scoffed at the single letter in his hooves. "Is this all?" he cried. "Remind me again the reason why I employ you. Look at this. This scroll was obviously written on subpar parchment. There's nothing to be learned by reading this thing. I daresay this is most likely one of my auntie's silly little friendship projects, nothing more. Tell me why I should pay you for delivering me such useless rubbish?"

The mare simply stood and said nothing. Both she and Blueblood knew he was only ranting just for the sake of ranting. She had done her job; she would be paid. . Secretly he praised the mare for her unique brand of thievery—instead of stealing the scroll outright, she only created a duplicate of its contents. Princess Celestia would never know that her personal letter had been usurped.

"Out with you!" exclaimed Prince Blueblood, truly annoyed that his usually intimidating words had no effect. "Your wages are in their usual location. _Common peasant_…"

"Glad to be of service, your highness," the mare bowed respectfully before trotting out of the room.

Now all alone, the pampered prince retired to his chambers with the duplicate in tow. Sometimes he questioned whether all of these secrets and lies were worth the effort. Prince Blueblood hadn't always been the forward thinking, secretive stallion he presently was. Years ago he was a naïve and boisterous—or rather boorish—youth with no real conceptions about the responsibilities of his title and position, but after a certain disastrous night at a particular gala, his mask of naiveté went tumbling down. Left with hardly any friends or supporters and with his princely face shunned from every street corner in Canterlot, Prince Blueblood was forced to resurrect his filthy PR.

He learned how to kiss slobbery foals without vomiting up his breakfast. He learned how to please the public by giving large sums of bits to some meddling charity or the other. He had even learned how to smile at ponies whom he really wished would just jump into a fiery lake in Tartarus. However these three were overshadowed by the one most important thing he'd learned after his fall from grace: the power of knowledge—and how to use it to one's advantage. The prince now made it one of his top priorities to know the actions and affiliations of every powerful noble in and around Canterlot. His time spent being Canterlot's social leper taught him how valuable it was to know in which way the wind was blowing, and now that he was on top and better than ever, he was adept at dodging the axe before it fell.

The prince looked down at his stolen prize. The letter was addressed to a Golden Banner via his aunt Celestia. Well, that was something one doesn't see every day. Slightly amused, Prince Blueblood ripped through the seal and unfolded the parchment.

_**Dear Golden Banner,**_

_**I am writing this letter to inform you of some of the actions taken place within one of the towns under your jurisdiction, Ponyville…**_

Blueblood groaned. Instead of keeping tabs on the secret activities of his aunt, he was now reading some fool's wrongly addressed complaints. Hissing in anger, he nearly threw the offending letter into his fireplace before the last four words on the bottom of the page grabbed his attention.

**_Sincerely, a citizen, Spike_**.

Spike. Now where had he heard that name?

As the prince thought, something purple popped up in his mind, something small and purple. What again was small and purple? For some strange reason his mind kept bringing up the annoying image of sparkles… Sparkles… Sparkle. His eyes bugged out in realization.

_Twilight Sparkle!_

His aunt's miserable little student owned a purple lizard or something years ago. Apparently the miserable little thing must still be alive. How horrid. Well at least it wasn't still living in the castle, having long since gone off with Twilight to that backwater town—which she'd promptly saved along with the rest of Equestria with her little friends using the Elements of Harmony.

Interest renewed, Prince Blueblood began to pour over the letter. He read about some peasant named Davenport who owned a shop called Quills and Sofas. He read how the purple lizard thought it was wrong that that Davenport fellow refused to sell to him. '_How comical_…' the prince thought. However, it wasn't until he'd read the last part of the letter concerning a certain mare that he sat up and took notice. The lizard had written her name, but in Prince Blueblood's opinion she deserved neither name nor title; she was the white bitch and deserved nothing less than the seventh circle of Tartarus. It was her fault that he'd spent nearly an entire year after the gala alone and despised.

The prince read on at how this Davenport fellow had managed to insult the white bitch and make her cry. Certainly, this was a jolly good show in Blueblood's book. Surely he couldn't just stand aside and let such a lovely fellow get put down by the likes of Golden Banner and the lizard.

Fully determined, Prince Blueblood levitated a sheet of his finest parchment and ink and began to write a letter. He could not just let a gentleman such as Davenport be blindsided and taken down by his enemies. Blueblood himself had experienced that, and it had taken him years to recover. No, Davenport Inkfeather would know full well what his enemies were doing and would be ready to meet them head-on. For making the white bitch cry, it was the least the prince could do.

* * *

Twilight and Spike sat by the empty apple stand, waiting on the return of either Rainbow Dash or Applejack. After facing up each other, the two had taken off in opposite directions, searching for a stallion they each thought would be perfect for Twilight. Woes betide those stallions…

"Yer friends… They only want the best for ya, ya know?" drawled a deep voice.

Twilight nearly jumped out of her skin before she remembered that it was only Applejack's older brother still hitched to the apple cart. Funny how she had forgotten how he was even there.

"I-I suppose so," Twilight shivered.

"Eeyup."

Several long minutes of silence followed. Twilight looked at Spike. Spike in turn shrugged his shoulders._Why not go for it?_

Twilight sighed. She was a failure at complex social interactions, and here she was thinking about asking out one of her best friend's practically mute older brother as a last resort. "My life officially stinks…" the purple mare moaned.

"Eenope."

"Yes, it really does," said Twilight, a little irritated now. "Here am I, an adult mare who isn't capable of handling a simple thing such as asking out a stallion. I am obviously socially challenged. Even teenage ponies are able to do this with little to no effort!"

Her red face glared up at Big McIntosh while his serene one gazed down at her. Then, surprisingly and embarrassingly for Twilight, he began to laugh—huge deep guffaws that made steam erupt from her ears.

"What's so funny?" she spat.

Big McIntosh chuckled, wiping a tear from his eye with a red hoof. "Why, you are Miss Twilight, if ya pardon mah laughin'. It's as plain to me as the blue sky on a summer's day that y'all never been around a group of teenagers. In mah day, Ah remember being as scared as a foal whenever a filly Ah had taken a likin' to walked near me. My friends usta get shot down by the fillies almost as many times as Ah could count. Ya ain't different, Miss Twilight. Wherever didja get a notion in yer head like that?"

Twilight almost answered his question before she realized it was rhetorical. She paused. "I guess I did go overboard a little, didn't I?" she replied softly. "I really didn't mean to…"

"Eeyup."

Twilight thought hard for a second. Her analytical brain shelved this new information while her emotional brain brought up something else. _Well, what did she have to lose? It was now or never, and there was a stallion in front of her._

"Big McIntosh," she began. "Do you mind going to the Midsummer Moon Gala with me?"


	5. Chapter 5

"Big McIntosh," Twilight began. "Do you mind going to the Midsummer Moon Gala with me?" There was a long pause. The question now that it had been uttered seemed to weigh heavily in the air. Twilight violently sucked in her breath. _Would a stallion actually say yes this time?_

Waves of unease broke across Big Mac's usually stolid face. He told a step back, bumping into the apple cart. "Eh-heh, about that… Ah'm sorry, Miss Twilight, but Ah can't accept yer askin.'"

Twilight facehoofed as another small hope was dashed before it could be fully realized. Spike facepalmed as once again his friend failed to get a partner for the gala. At this rate, she'd be researching for a magical solution to her problem by the end of the day. He might as well have Princess Celestia on speed-flame already.

"I see…" Twilight sighed. "Well, I hope you have a nice day, Big Mac." The lavender unicorn turned to leave. "Come on, Spike."

"No, wait." Big McIntosh started. "Why are y'all leavin'?"

"Huh?" Twilight blurted, before shaking her head and collecting herself. "You said that you couldn't accept my asking you-"

"Eeyup."

"-so I'm going leave now," she finished.

"But why would y'all do that?"

Twilight was now close to steaming in irritation. _Why did he keep bothering her? He'd already rejected her once; what was the deal?_ "Because you said no."

The large red stallion took another step backward from the reddening mare. "But Ah didn't say no."

"Yes, you did!" Twilight countered.

"Ah think y'all have it all wrong, Miss Twilight," Big Mac held up his hooves in an effort to defuse the situation. "When Ah said Ah couldn't accept yer askin,' Ah wasn't rejectin' ya. Now Ah don't know how them city-slickers in Canterlot do things, but down here in Ponyville we got a code of honor. Plus Ah'm an Apple, and Ah reckon mah Pa—may Celestia rest his soul—wouldn't take too kindly to mah accepting a mare's offer like that. Ah reckon he'd rather me do the askin.'"

Both Twilight and Spike were left dumbfounded and opened mouthed at that revelation. Big McIntosh took that time to pick his next few words very carefully.

"Miss Twilight, I was wonderin'—"

"Yes!"

The workhorse was taken aback. "But Ah didn't get to ask—"

"Doesn't matter. Yes!" The purple mare bounced up and down excitedly. Yes, finally! A huge item on her checklist has been successfully completed. Still, it took a better portion of her day, but in the end Twilight Sparkle was victorious as usual.

"Great!" Twilight grinned, before levitating a rather long list and quill from her saddlebag. "Now, Big Mac, you are to meet me tomorrow in front of the library at three P.M. sharp. I would advise you to wear your best, but if you don't have anything, I'm sure Rarity would allow us borrow some of her things. I have arranged the carriage in which to take us to Canterlot to arrive at five so in the meantime I'll be informing you on how to behave around Canterlot nobility, and more importantly in the slight chance that the Princesses show up." She peered up at the increasingly confused and wary Big Mac.

"So, Big McIntosh, do you have any questions?"

* * *

The sky was darkening. The first of Luna's stars would soon be out, and Spike mentally shook himself at not taking the time to ask Rarity sooner. Of course he had been held up by Twilight earlier, but still… More than likely, she would be closing up shop now and having dinner with Sweetie Belle or preparing to work on one of her creations through the night.

'_Right now is so not a good time_…' Spike scolded himself as he hurried through the gradually emptying streets of Ponyville. Ponies everywhere were gathering themselves up to return home and settle in for the evening. A few waved to him as he rushed past, and he gave hurried nods in return. In hardly any time at all, the dragon arrived at the Carousel Boutique. Curiously, all of his impatience immediately drained out of him as soon as he found himself in front of the door.

"Well, Spike, it's now or never," he chanted to himself. He took on a determined air, squaring his shoulders and straightening his spine. This was it—the culmination of six years of "secretly" loving the beautiful mare of the Carousel Boutique. Today, this day, he was finally going to ask out Rarity. His face broke into a fanged grin. This was it! His fist reached out to knock on the door.

Then it stopped in midair. His sudden confidence gave way to ominous doubts. What if Rarity doesn't go for it? His heart quivered inside him. What was the worst that could happen? Would she chase him out of the boutique, horribly disgusted and screaming at him never to come near her again? Or maybe she would pat him on the head as she did when he was younger and call him silly? Would she stare at him in disgust until the awkwardness finally drove him from the room? What sane dragon harbored feelings for a pony anyway? It's not like any such coupling had been recorded in all of Equestrian history, and Spike had researched…

The dragon's gloomy thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a white pony opening the door. Spike jumped back, as he was standing so close to the entrance that he was almost upon her. The two stared at each other.

"Spike?" Sweetie Belle questioned, cocking her head to the side. "Why are you standing outside the boutique?"

"Eh-heh…" Spike looked away, rubbing his back spines nervously. "I was just… Is Rarity in?"

He tried to look inconspicuous while Sweetie Belle studied him intently. "Yeah… She's in there…" she said slowly. "Spike, you're acting kinda weird. Are you okay?"

"Never better," Spike gulped. He deftly moved past the suspicious teenaged filly and into the doorway of the boutique. "Thanks for letting me know that Rarity is here. See ya, Sweetie Belle." With that, he disappeared inside.

"Hmm…" Sweetie Belle mumbled to herself. She started to say something, but thought the better of it. She had to get to Scootaloo's anyway for their sleepover before it got too dark, or Rarity would be on her flank again. The filly took off down the street.

Meanwhile, Spike wandered inside the boutique. The foyer was neat and orderly as usual—a testament to its owner's borderline OCD. Carefully, he shut the door behind him and called out his intended's name. "Rarity?" Hearing no answer, he drifted past the foyer and into the main showroom which was filled with ponyquins wearing dazzling dresses and racks of various accessories. "Rarity?"

"Spike?" uttered a demure voice with a hint of confusion. A pair of royal blue eyes and a purple mane peered at him through a doorway. "Spike, dear, this is quite a surprise. Whatever are you doing here?"

_This was it! This was it!_ Spike fought his suddenly leaden tongue to speak. "Rarity, I-I'm here to—"

"Oh, it doesn't matter why he's here," Rarity stated, although she was talking more to herself than to Spike. She turned towards him with a large smile on her face. "Oh, Spikey, your sudden presence here is a lifesaver, I tell you. Sweetie Belle's little sleepover just happened to be scheduled three days before an order from a major client is due. I would have been hard pressed to finish without her help, but lo and behold you're here. Do you mind assisting me for an hour or two? Oh, I promise I'll have you back at Twilight's before it gets too late."

Spike was taken aback. This wasn't how their conversation was supposed to go, but how could he ignore that pleading face? A small section in the back of his mind wondered if she knew what this did to him. Whether she did or didn't, it was hard to figure out. _She _was hard to figure out.

"Um, sure," Spike replied. He could always ask her while they worked.

"How lovely! I truly appreciate your generosity, Spike. I'll be sure to reward you later for your hard work."

Spike grinned in response. "You really don't have to, Rarity."

"Oh I insist," the fashionista stated, dramatically placing a delicate hoof to her chest. "I can't let you leave here without showing how much I appreciate your help. You're always giving so much of yourself to everyone…" She stopped before beginning again on a much stronger note. "Ah well, we might as well get going, shall we?" Briskly, she led the dragon into her famous Inspiration Room—the only room in the entire building allowed to remain in a constant state of "organized" chaos.

"To start, can you hold this roll of fabric?" A sparkling roll of blue and pink fabric floated into Spike's outstretched arms. Satisfied, she turned to review her client's measurements. As she began humming, Spike steeled himself. It was now or never.

"Rarity?" he began.

"Yes, darling?" the unicorn replied absentmindedly.

"I was wondering…" he took a shaky breath. "…if you'd want to go to the Midsummer Moon Gala with me-"

"Wait…" Rarity's eyes shot open. "Spike, did you just say the Midsummer Moon Gala?"

"Yeah…"

"THE Midsummer Moon Gala—the only gala where the guest list holds only the names of the most elite and respected ponies of all Equestria?" she gasped.

"Um, yeah?" Spike repeated weakly.

Rarity joyously laughed out loud before she suddenly started jumping up and down. "Oh… Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! The Midsummer Moon Gala! I can barely believe it; oh, I could simply die!"

"So… you do want to go with me?" Spike couldn't believe his luck. Rarity, his Rarity, wants to go with him on a date! Today was the best day of his life! She liked him back; she liked him back! Oh my Luna, she-

"Go w-with you?" Rarity's joy seemed to fall a few notches as she finally realized what the dragon was truly saying. Spike could practically feel the excitement leave the room like air escaping from a deflating balloon—his high spirits leaving with it.

"Yeah," he mumbled. "I'm going with Twilight. She's been invited, and I have through her. We both needed partners…" This was totally contrary to how things were only a minute ago. A feeling of cold dread emptied into his stomach. His grip tightened on the material he was holding.

"Oh," the white unicorn simply stated. "Oh. I see."

A cold silence filled the room. Spike shivered. "So, you don't want to go with me?" He looked down into her eyes as in search of confirmation, and his heart cracked a little inside him when he saw her turn away.

"I'm-I'm terribly sorry, darling…" Rarity sighed. "All I heard before was something about going to the Midsummer Moon Gala, and I…_overreacted_… I'm sorry."

Spike said nothing. He couldn't say anything—the culmination of six years of hopeful dreaming—gone; his wishful thoughts about his possible future with the love of his life—dashed. His claws were beginning to tear holes into the expensive fabric he was carrying, but he couldn't care less. Finally, all he could manage to say was, "Why?"

Rarity looked away, her eyes moist. "My agreeing to go with you to the gala would be like my leading you on into a nonexistent relationship. I know that you have had this…thing…concerning me for a long time, but you and I, we could never be, Spikey."

His heart shattered as he heard the love of his life utter those words. His mind seemed to enjoy the pain as it dutifully replayed them over and over again. '_My agreeing to go with you to the gala would be like my leading you on..._' Then all of a sudden, her words mixed with another's. '_Can't you see that my selling to you is like my encouraging you to be here_…' Against his will, they combined themselves in order to torture him. '_Can't you see that my agreeing to go with you is like my encouraging you to be here? Can't you see why I can't be with you? You're the bramble, Spike. A lady such as myself cannot be seen with a bramble…_' Over and over again, Spike was reminded that he was different—a dragon in the land of ponies. How could he have ever thought that he could be happy here?

"It's because I'm a dragon, isn't it?" Spike replied calmly. If she could admit it, then maybe he could live out the rest of his miserable life in peace.

"What? No!" Rarity seemed shocked. "Darling, how could you ever think that?"

"Because it's true," Spike barked in an uncharacteristically cold manner. It was bad enough that she'd just trampled over his heart, but did she have to continue to lie to him as well? Why couldn't he get a straight answer? His claws clenched the roll of material in his arms until they sank through it like butter.

"My tulle!" Rarity cried, staring at the irreparable holes marring her expensive fabric. "It-it's ruined…"

"All you care about is the stupid tulle?" Spike yelled as he loosened his grip to let the torn fabric fall to the ground. A foreign plume of anger rose within him. A lifeless bunch of fabric meant more to her than the feelings of a living, sentient being standing right in front of her. He felt sick, but even though his queasiness, he couldn't help but to still find her hauntingly beautiful with her large dewy eyes and delicate muzzle. She was indeed very pretty… He wanted to…

Rarity suddenly screamed which knocked Spike out of his reverie.

"W-what?" he started, confused, before he realized that his left claw was grasping something that was trembling. His emerald eyes looked down; starting from the white shaking forearm he held right up to the terrified face of its owner. Shocked, he immediately let go, and Rarity shrank away from him, cowering against a wall.

Spike's mouth was suddenly dry. All traces of anger fled, only to leave overwhelming amounts of shock, sadness, and dawning horror. H-had he just? Spike gulped. No, he had to get away NOW; he had lost control. He'd almost hurt Rarity. No matter what she said or did, he could never hurt Rarity. A few tears squeezed out of his eyes while he stumbled over a quick apology before he turned to run towards the door.

"Wait!" Rarity shouted, but Spike refused to listen. He would let his brain process requests again when he was back in his room at the library—safe from harming anypony. His claw tugged at the door, but the knob refused to turn. He heard her hoofsteps behind him and knew she was close.

"Spike…" she began softly.

"No, Rarity! Let me out!" Spike begged. "I-I could've hurt you back there; let me out."

"No. I cannot do that. You were right, Spikey. I need to tell you the truth—the real reason you and I can never be together…" She looked away. Her face morphed into a painful expression. "You see, Spike, I cannot seriously pursue a relationship with you or anypony else, and probably won't be able to for a very long time. I realized that quite some time ago. Ever since I was a filly, I wanted to become a fashionista—to have my creations adored and appreciated by the masses… However, it wasn't until I was almost a full grown mare that I realized the amount of work and time and dedication achieving that dream would require.

"Following my dream, I grew distant from my parents, my little sister, and my friends. It was only after you and Twilight arrived that I put some distance between myself and my work." Rarity smiled a thin, wan smile. "Between my friends and Sweetie Belle, you drew me out of my shell—but not by much. Even now I can barely make time to spend with you and the girls and Sweetie Belle and still have enough to finish my orders. In the past, every so often a stallion would catch my eye, and we would try to make it work, but… I don't have time for stallions. I don't have time to meet the demands of a relationship. You're so kind and noble, Spikey; I could never lead you into something that would surely damage you. I'm sorry."

For the second time that night, Spike's throat tightened—but this time for an entirely different reason. "So if you weren't too busy for a relationship, you would have accepted earlier…even though I am a dragon?" He tried to keep the hope from creeping into his voice and failed.

Rarity blinked back glistening tears. She sighed. "Well… I don't see why not, darling, and concerning the whole 'dragon thing,' even Sapphire Shores herself was rumored to have had a fling with a griffin about a year ago. It adds something of a naughty intrigue about a pony, you know."

Spike's face broke out into a grin. YES! He was one iota away from roaring it into the heavens.

"However, that doesn't change my stance about you and me, Spike," the unicorn reminded him. "I couldn't bear to hurt you like that, especially since we've been friends for so long."

"B-but I'm around you almost every day. How would things be different if we were…" The dragon could hardly say the word. "..together?"

"Sure, you'd start out fine, but you would want to do more eventually, Spike." She smiled sadly. "You would want to go out and do the things that couples do, and I won't be able to do these things at times or spend time with you the way you'd want. During Hearth's Warming Eve, Winter Wrap Up, and Nightmare Night, I'm practically a shut-in inside the boutique. How would you feel if you were to experience these holidays all alone, watching others spend time with their significant others?"

Spike turned away and gathered his thoughts before looking back. He was determined to get out what he was about to say. "Yeah, I would be sad, watching all the stallions with their marefriends knowing that I couldn't be with mine. But still, you'd be my marefriend, and I could be with you some other time when you aren't busy filling orders. It would be better for me to know that than to be without a marefriend or to be with one I truly didn't love-" Spike gasped, covering his mouth with his claws. Did he really just say the "L" word out loud? _In front of Rarity?_

Rarity turned so the dragon couldn't see her face. A faint red graced her cheeks. "A-and you truly feel this way?"

"Yeah… Yes," he blurted out awkwardly.

"I see," Rarity stated. "Well, I suppose this changes my plans for the night."

Alarm bells sounded off in Spike's brain. "Are you? What are you-?"

The unicorn giggled—_actually giggled_—as she placed her muzzle upon his shoulder. Her sweet smelling purple locks bathed his scales; he trembled as he felt the lesser heat of her body. She whispered into his ear. "Why, haven't you heard, Spike? I've just gotten invited to the Midsummer Moon Gala by a most kind and generous gentledragon, and I have less than twenty-four hours to prepare."

Spike laughed. "Um, I guess I didn't hear that before. Sorry."

Rarity chuckled in response before suddenly narrowing her eyes. "Indeed. However, before we go on, I must say Spike that I never want to experience a repeat of your behavior back there. If you lay a hoof—er_claw_, upon my person ever again, I must warn you that I'll be forced to buck you into next week, and you'll never be allowed to set foot inside my boutique again. Do you understand?"

Spike jumped back at the ferocity of her gaze. "I-I understand, Rarity, and I'm totally sorry for that. It will never happen again!"

"Good," Rarity huffed. "Now, this occasion calls for a gown so spectacular that all of Equestria shall stop and gaze upon its beauty! I, Rarity, shall become the absolute belle of the ball—and you the charming prince, my dear Spikey." She winked at him in an almost naughty way. "Come along now. I shall have to take your measurements."


	6. Chapter 6

A low moan erupted from the dark interior of Ponyville's only quills and sofas shop. Inside, a dark figure paced back and forth, making a well-worn path along the old wooden floor. The figure sighed as he stopped his fevered pacing to stare at a scroll which was lying on a nearby table.

"Ruined…" Davenport Inkfeather moaned, his head buried in his hooves. "I am ruined… My family's livelihood, our business… Gone." Looking up, his large green eyes studied the aged walls of the room around him. Generation after generation of Inkfeathers had been born, lived, and died within these very walls. All of them had worked hard to ensure that the next generation of shopkeepers would have a strong foundation in running the family business—too bad that all of their efforts had come to naught.

'_How could I have forgotten that that dragon was a close friend of Princess Celestia?_' Davenport groaned to himself. He had honestly been stupid. Everypony knew about the heroism of the six bearers of the Elements of Harmony. The tales of their dragon friend were less widespread, but the showdown at the Crystal Empire still was a hot topic among some circles. Davenport could imagine the lynch mobs already, surrounding his beloved Quills and Sofas with torches in their mouths. He'd be run out of town by morning.

He'd be run out of town for being right. It confused the stallion to no end why the majority of the ponies around him could not see the truth. In the end the dragon would only sow discord and disharmony among them, even more so than the disgusting donkeys and the heathen zebra. Sure, it had started out as harmless and 'cute,' but Davenport knew that would change in a hundred years. The shopkeeper figured that the mere thought of living in a town that housed a creature more than a hundred hooves tall with teeth the size of full grown stallions would turn more than a few ponies over to his point of view. At this thought, he turned away and sighed. Well, that would be a problem for future members of The Few.

He, Davenport, taking into account the words of Prince Blueblood, may have a week left in town at the most before some bureaucrat sent from Golden Banner knocks on his door with an inquiry. The stallion hoped that he could meet that pony with a straight face when she or he arrived. An Inkfeather always faced the worst with both honor and dignity. The family business would be lost and its name besmirched, but he could still uphold the family dignity. However, through all of his worries about the future, Davenport was befuddled over one thing. Why would a royal such as Prince Blueblood write to a lowly shopkeeper such as him about a subject that is obviously unpopular in his Aunts' eyes? It made no sense in any which way he tried to think about it. Still, there was one positive thing about this whole mess. Thanks to the dragon's letter to Celestia, nopony now could stop the fateful encounter that had occured earlier that afternoon from leaking to the public. But the stallion did at least have one friend—no matter how mysterious his reasons—or rather lifeline: Prince Blueblood.

Davenport spent the rest of the night racking his brain at ways in which he could use this to his advantage.

* * *

Spike's spirits were on cloud nine as he walked home from the Carousel Boutique. A dreamy fanged smile was plastered all over his face, and a quiet sort of happiness filled his heart. How else could he feel? Earlier that night, his longtime crush Rarity had accepted his asking her out on a date—the one thing he had fantasized about during the last few years but never really thought would actually happen.

As the dragon approached the library, he noticed the multicolored lights flashing through its windows and the blaring music echoing outside. Almost instinctively, Spike knew that there was only one reason why the normally quiet library had suddenly been converted into party central—Pinkie Pie. Grinning from ear to ear, he rushed the rest of the way to the front door. However, before he could touch the knob, the door swung open.

"Hiya, Spike!" Pinkie called out, before giving him a wink. "Where ya been you big silly? We've been celebrating your and Twilight's Pre-Midsummer-Moon-Party-Party for like over an hour now, and you weren't here! Do you know how totally almost-not-fun it is to throw a party for somepony, and that somepony isn't there to enjoy it?" Somehow Spike found himself being pushed indoors by Pinkie, and he had no idea how Pinkie even got behind him. "But now it's totally okay because you're here!"

The surprisingly strong pink earth pony stopped pushing him forward, and Spike stared around at the room. Streamers of various color hung from the ceiling, and tables were piled high with sugary treats from Sugarcube Corner. Twilight, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash were all standing in the far corner talking excitedly with each other.

"Well, don't just stand there!" Pinkie Pie chided him. "Go ahead and enjoy yourself. Try the cupcakes; they're amethyst this time."

"You don't have to tell me twice, Pinkie," Spike laughed. In a flash, the purple dragon appeared in front of a plate of equally violet jewel studded cupcakes. "_Gems_…" he drooled before grabbing the top cupcake and stuffing it into his mouth.

"And where exactly have you been all this time?" a voice behind him growled.

Spike spun around, his jaws still full of half-chewed treats. "Twifugth?"

Twilight only raised a suspicious eyebrow and waited for him to swallow before speaking. "You've been acting weird lately, Spike. First, I find your old basket which I thought you had thrown out years ago. Then, you start writing mysterious letters to ponies and refusing to tell anypony what you've written, and now you disappear for hours at a time. Spike…" At this, her hard frown dropped to reveal a more concerned expression. "I am only bringing this up because I'm concerned about you. I want to know what's been happening with you lately."

Spike gulped. He had wanted to put off this explanation until a much more convenient time—that is, a time where he and Twilight had a chance to be alone and especially not before his big date with Rarity—but fate seemed to deem otherwise. Of course, the Quills and Sofas situation had been taken care of, but how exactly does one tell another: "Oh yeah, Twilight, by the way I've been having strange fits where I blackout and snap back into focus finding myself doing things that I never would have done if I had full control of my actions. Plus, remember my old basket? The one that you wanted me to throw out—_twice_? Well, that basket is still in my room. Guess I have a problem with my hording again, right? Heh heh."

'_Oh well_,' Spike thought. '_Here goes everything… I'd be lucky if Twi doesn't quarantine me. And I'm sure that the Midsummer Moon Gala is off, now that Twilight would be focused on finding out more about what's wrong with me. I could kiss that chance with Rarity goodbye now…_' Spike sighed, before mentally slapping himself. Here he was being absolutely selfish. Who knows exactly what was truly wrong with him? Maybe it was something as mundane as growing up, or maybe it could be something so serious that it could endanger the lives of his friends and every pony in Ponyville. It had happened before. Spike didn't want it to ever happen again.

"Twi, I-"

"Hey! Why all the long faces? Cheer up, guys! It's a party!" Pinkie Pie snuck up behind the two and embraced both of their heads in a tight hug.

"Pinkie! Spike was just about to tell me something important!" Twilight groaned, trying to escape Pinkie Pie's iron grip.

"It's okay, Twi. I'll tell you later," Spike whispered.

"No, you'll tell me now!" Twilight stomped her hoof.

"I know… I know…" Spike begged. "But after the party…please."

Twilight sighed before finally giving in. "Fine. But you will tell me exactly what's going on right after everypony leaves, got it?"

"Yeah, _Mom_, I got it," Spike said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"Hey guys! Are you having a group conversation over there and forgot to invite us?" Rainbow Dash asked, trailing Fluttershy behind her.

"Um, Rainbow Dash? M-maybe they were having a private discussion? It would be awfully rude for us to interrupt…" Fluttershy squeaked from her position halfway hidden behind Rainbow.

"Private, schmrivate…" Rainbow Dash scoffed. "It can't be private because Pinkie Pie is standing right there behind them! Besides, I'm bored out of my head over there in the corner with Applejack constantly complaining about how Twilight is planning to 'steal and corrupt her brother with her _fancy_Canterlot ways.' I need something interesting to do before I keel over!" She cried.

"Wait? AJ's mad at Twi? What for?" Spike asked, brushing a few crumbs away from his mouth.

"Well…" began Twilight uncomfortably. "It's the-"

"It's the fact that she's just usin' mah big brother to make herself look good in front of those high falootin' frou-frou Canterlot ponies!" Applejack interrupted from all the way across the room, somehow easily making her voice heard above Pinkie's party music. Curiously, Spike noticed that her face was more red now than orange. "Ya don't even genuinely like him, Twilight. Y'all just need some warm body to sit up there all night and look pretty. "

"Hey!" Twilight yelled, a little offended. " I am not using your brother just for his aesthetically pleasing facial features! He did say yes, you know."

"Only because ya guilt tripped him to say it!" Applejack shot back. Her accusing hoof pointed straight in the violet unicorn's direction. "Big Mac's always been mighty sensitive to the feelings of other ponies. With you mopin' all over the place back there, what else would he say?"

"I wasn't moping-"

"STTTOOOPPP!" Suddenly, Pinkie Pie jumped into the fray, screaming and madly waving her forearms up and down. Everypony and dragon abruptly ceased whatever she or he was doing at that moment—all except Fluttershy, who was quietly threatening to tear up into Rainbow Dash's side and Rainbow's awkward attempts at comforting.

The pink party pony took a second to send a glare to both Twilight and Applejack, which made both of them shrink a little bit in shame. "You two are two of my bestest friends ever," Pinkie started, "And you're fighting, and you're fighting at a party that I worked really really hard on because I didn't want you and Spike to forget about us while you're having so much fun up in Canterlot tomorrow because forgetting about us would make us really sad so I worked really hard on this, but I think it didn't work anyway because now you two are fighting and that makes me sad because you aren't enjoying the party, and then Twilight and Spike just may stay in Canterlot now, and then we'll never ever ever all be friends or have any adventures again, and when I think about it, it all makes me just…" Pinkie burst into a literal waterfall of tears and ran to the nearest pony for comfort.

Rainbow Dash saw her coming from a canterlength away. "No, no, no, Pinkie, please! I already got Fluttershy on one side of me, and-"

**Bam**! Pinkie Pie collided with the cyan pegasus and threw her arms around her neck, sobbing openly. Now with two distressed ponies on either side of her, Rainbow Dash said nothing but gave the ceiling an irritated "_Why me?_" look.

"Oh, sweet Celestia…" Applejack facehoofed. "Pinkie… Me and Twilight are not goin' to stop being friends just because we get mad at each other from time to time."

Pinkie sniffed from her position on Rainbow's side.

"Of course, Pinkie, don't be silly," added Twilight. She saddled over to Applejack and threw a forearm over the orange earth mare's neck. Applejack made a move to protest before Twilight gave her a sharp look. The earth pony sighed in defeat, and Twilight took the chance to continue. "See? We're hugging right now. The very best of friends, we're not angry at all."

Pinkie Pie turned her head cautiously to glance over at her two friends. She sniffed again. "Really?"

Neither Twilight nor Applejack were very good liars—or in Applejack's case, nearly unable to lie at all—so they each responded with too wide, obviously forced smiles. Unfortunately these clearly false smiles didn't fool Pinkie Pie. Even though the pink pony may be a tad on the "flighty" side, she was not an idiot.

Pinkie narrowed her baby blue eyes, and Twilight and Applejack started to sweat buckets under her suspicious gaze. "Okie dokie loki…" she said slowly, backing away. The two ponies under Pinkie's temporary spotlight each let out long held breaths, but the damage had already been done. The general mood was ruined. However, it was surprisingly Fluttershy who turned the atmosphere from gray to sunny skies again simply due to the fact that the room had quieted down so much that her friends could finally hear her.

"Oh, I do so hate hearing raised voices. I wish Rarity was here. She usually knows how to stop-EEP!" The yellow pegasus suddenly realized that all eyes were resting upon her while she was talking to herself. Predictably, she drew back, bumping against the punch table. "O-oh my…. Y-you girls didn't hear me, did you?"

As if an invisible dam had burst, everypony abruptly felt the need to smile.

"Yeah, I think we did. Sorry, Fluttershy." Twilight fought to force back her laughter. "But that reminds me. Rarity is indeed missing. Has anypony seen Rarity today?"

At the mention of Rarity's name, Spike felt a spark of electricity shoot through him. With all of the commotion after he arrived back at the library, he'd nearly forgotten what had happened earlier today. The dreamy smile returned to his face as he exhaled deeply before answering Twilight's question. "Yeah, I've seen her, Twi. I just left the boutique before coming home. Rarity won't have time to come the party though; she's finishing our outfits for the gala tomorrow."

Everypony in the room seemed to accept this answer, but Twilight's ever discerning mind caught onto a particular word he'd said. "Spike…" Twilight said. "What exactly did you mean by 'our' outfits?"

Spike's face broke out into an extremely eager grin. Here it comes! He had wanted to surprise them all tomorrow with the beautiful Rarity upon his arm, but letting them all know tonight wasn't exactly bad either. "Well, Rarity and I are both going to the gala, together. I asked her out today, and she said yes!" There was a silence as the dragon watched everypony's jaw drop simultaneously.

It was Applejack who finally broke it."So…so Rarity actually agreed to go on a date with y'all?" she questioned.

Spike nodded vigorously, and Applejack's green eyes only widened in response.

"Ah-Ah see…" she replied simply.

The others said nothing at all, and at this, Spike started to worry. The thought had never come across his mind before, and he had never imagined it would. However, as he looked around at his silent group of friends, that horrible thought suddenly emerged and bounced around in his head. What if his friends didn't approve of his relationship with Rarity—or even with anypony else for that matter? Of course, they had teased him about the subject of Rarity for years, but that was before the fashionista had ever shown concrete signs of being equally interested in him. Now it was obvious that she had shown signs of liking him back, and this was an entirely different ball game. What if his friends accepted his being there with them but not to his having relationships with ponies?

That would be hard to take from the ponies whom he had come to love and trust these past few years. Would he have to spend his life alone to be accepted by his friends? Even if he were to find a dragoness somewhere, Spike doubted that she would want to live near ponies. And he couldn't forget about Rarity. The white unicorn put much more stock in what other ponies thought than Spike did. As soon as she'd hear about her friends' negative reactions, she would put a stop to everything he knew.

Spike exhaled. He prepared himself for the worst. "So…you guys don't like it?"

"What? Aw, course not, sugarcube," Applejack said as she came to sit beside the dragon. "It's just that we're all surprised, that's all. Honestly, Ah never figured Rarity would do that. I pictured her sometimes shallower than a week old puddle, but Ah guess she's proven me wrong." Applejack smiled. "And Ah wish y'all have a nice date up there in Canterlot. Rarity's plum crazy about Canterlot so Ah'm sure you're gonna have a good time."

Spike smiled in return before he yelped as he was grabbed from behind and forced to endure a painful noogie. "Yeah kid," Rainbow grinned as the dragon tenderly rubbed his head. "You actually asked Rarity out; I didn't know you had it in ya."

"Congratulations, Spike," Fluttershy grinned. "Like Applejack said, I really hope you have a wonderful time tomorrow at the gala."

Spike's heart felt as if it had dislodged itself and floated to the very top of his chest. After his recent experiences with Davenport Inkfeather, his ominous selective amnesia, and just his general feelings of being nearly something of an outsider in Equestrian society, his friends couldn't know the full extent of the power their uplifting words had. They might never know. "Thanks, guys," Spike said. The expression was simple, but it was enough.

"Spike…" Applejack and Fluttershy parted to reveal a smiling, but slightly teary eyed Twilight. "You've really grown up, haven't you? I-I had no idea. I'm sorry for ganging up on you earlier; I must've read the signs wrong. It's obvious that you were nervous about asking out Rarity." The dragon was taken aback when Twilight pulled him in for a hug. A little bubble of guilt welled up within him. He had to tell Twilight the truth sooner or later—all of this secrecy was getting to him.

"Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh!" Pinkie screamed, her hands flew to her head. "Spike asked Rarity out! Do you guys know what this means?" Everypony looked at each other confused then back at Pinkie and shook their heads.

Pinkie Pie laughed. "Oh you silly billies… That means that this party is now a Pre-Midsummer-Moon-Congratulations-Spike-You're-the-Dragon-Party-Party! Come on, everypony!"


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning Spike awoke to a muffled crash drifting up from downstairs in the library. Slowly the dragon stretched, cracked his spine a few times, and wiped the crust from eyelids. "Boy, what a party…" he yawned. He sat there for a moment trapped in a sleepy fugue when all of a sudden another thump even louder than the first crash made him jump up in surprise.

"Wha-?" Spike blinked before he hopped out of bed and rushed down the stairs. When he arrived at the bottom step, Spike discovered the source of all the commotion. In the center of the room, Twilight was carefully restacking a tower of books while using her hazy magenta telekinesis. Spike figured that the pile she was working on was the "already read" pile. Several more tomes and pages of hastily scribbled notes laid on the table behind her.

"Oh good, you're finally up," Twilight said. "Do you mind if you can reshelve these books?" Her hoof pointed to the tower of books she had just finished restacking. "I've got to get back to researching."

"Twilight," frowned Spike. "Have you been doing this since everypony left last night? I thought you said you were going to bed after I went upstairs?"

Twilight huffed as she raised her head, obviously put off by Spike's interruption of her reading. "Yes, Spike, I did say that. But that was before I read a chapter concerning the magical nature of dragons. That chapter about dragons referenced an excerpt from the fifth volume of Care of Magical Creatures, and of course I had to check up on that reference which then led me to a scroll written by…" Twilight frowned as she squinted on a page. "…Clover the Clever of all ponies. I guess I lost track of time."

Spike only stared at the small dark bags which had formed underneath her eyes. "Lost track of time…_Right_…" he replied. "I'll go start the coffee."

"But what about the books I asked you to put away?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'll get to it," Spike rolled his eyes as he headed to the kitchen. "Honestly, I think coffee and maybe some breakfast is more important right now."

"Breakfast?" Twilight replied, incredulously. "How can you think about your stomach at a time like this?"

"Easy!" The dragon shouted back from the kitchen. "I'm hungry."

Twilight groaned. "You're not being serious about this, Spike! There could be something seriously wrong with you, and neither you nor I know what it is. Princess Celestia doesn't know a thing we don't already know about dragons, and I can't get anything more than a few basic facts and folklore from these books! The symptoms you've described to me can't be found anywhere."

Spike heard the frustration in her voice. He knew that Twilight hated the few times where she didn't have a solid theory about what was going on and any clue at how she could solve the situation—especially when one of her friends were involved. Twilight always put a little blame upon herself, even when logically there was no reason for her to be blamed at all. It was Spike's fault that she had gone for so long with knowing, not hers, and it was nopony's fault for the lack of information out there about dragons, save for the occasionally widely known fact. Spike swallowed a bit of guilt before walking out with a cup of fresh coffee.

"Look, I understand where you're coming from, Twi, but I am being serious. I'm more worried about this than you know—or maybe more than you will ever know because I know firsthoof of the worst things that could happen. Believe me when I say this, but things are different than last time. I have control now; I can make myself snap out of it when I feel something slipping." He looked down at Twilight who was now staring strangely at him. "Okay, so I know that's not the best answer, but that's how it is. What I want to say is that it's not like last time where we had to race to find out what was happening. We have lots of time. Don't kill yourself with research like it's my last day or something."

Twilight was sitting very still when he finished. "Not like last time…_ Last time_…" she muttered to herself, eyes going impossibly wide. "Oh. My. Celestia. Zecora!" Immediately the unicorn shot up, almost making Spike fall back on his rear. "Spike! We need to see Zecora. Right now!"

"Right now?" Spike asked, confused.

"Right now!"

* * *

It wasn't long before the two were facing Zecora's odd tree hut, deep in the Everfree Forest. Twilight knocked on the door with her hoof, hoping that the zebra was awake since it was still fairly early in the morning. Minutes passed before a shuffling sound was heard, and the door opened, revealing a visibly tired Zecora looking curiously naked without her neck or forearm rings.

"Twilight Sparkle…" she yawned.

"Please, Zecora, we really need your help," the unicorn begged. "Could you spare some time?"

"To help a friend I always have the time. Please come in and tell me what's on your mind." The zebra gestured them inside her home and shut the door.

"Thank you, Zecora," Twilight breathed. She trotted over to the large cauldron in the center of the room containing a bright boiling liquid in an attempt to warm herself after the slightly cool summer morning. Spike moved along with her—not because he was cold, but due to the fact that he was experiencing some majorly creepy _déjà vu_. "I'm really sorry to bother you, but Spike is having problems again. You were the only one who gave me helpful information last time, and I was wondering could you find out what's wrong now?"

Zecora frowned, then turned her sharp blue eyes in Spike's direction. Even though he was larger than the zebra, Spike shrunk back a bit.

"This time my belongings he does not steal; Twilight Sparkle, certain are you that your fears are real?"

"Spike told me so himself," Twilight answered.

"Yeah, it's true," Spike admitted. He glanced over at Zecora who was still watching him intently. One side of her head was cocked in curiosity.

"Interesting…" the zebra mumbled to herself. She took two hooves and placed them on either side of Spike's head, squeezing it intently. She drummed his cranium for a bit, leaving Spike with a most irritated expression. "It seems as if the answer you are trying to find is hidden deep within your mind. Come," she motioned the dragon and the pony closer to the glowing cauldron. "Let us ask the boiling brew to see if it will explain to you."

The three peered over into the depths of the pot. Their reflections shone back at them from the glassy surface of the bright blue liquid for a moment before they vanished altogether. The brew turned cloudy before transforming into an inky black.

"Hey, what's hap-" Spike began, but Zecora quickly shushed him.

The black was now being swallowed up by a soft spring green. Said green spread across the surface of the cauldron fairly quickly, but a bit of the black remained far off to the side as if it refused to allow itself to be beaten.

"Yes, yes, I had suspected so," Zecora sounded almost annoyed at this point. "Now tell us what we need to know."

As if the brew itself took offense to that, a large bubble suddenly burst near the onlookers' faces, making both Spike and Twilight draw back, but Zecora only rolled her eyes. "_Such insolence_…" she muttered. Spike and Twilight looked at each other and shared a gulp before once again taking their places beside her.

The soft spring green was slowly changing now into a stronger emerald hue. Rather than simmer quietly, the liquid began to boil rambunctiously as if it were a colt roughhousing around, but that wasn't the only thing that changed. The inky black section, somehow sensing that its green oppressor's strength had waned, began to make forays into its emerald green cousin like long black tentacles. Curiously, there was no integration between the two.

"Hmm…" Her brows frowning under deep thought, Zecora turned away from her mixture and paced around the room.

Twilight watched her nervously. "Do you have any idea what's going on here? What exactly did we see?"

"We saw that to your problem there is no quick fix. Simply put, your scaly friend must let it mix."

"Wait a minute… 'Must let it mix?' Zecora, I have no clue what that even means." The unicorn rubbed her head with a forearm, trying to mentally digest what the zebra was saying.

"Come. I shall tell you what this means. Look here at the black and the green. The black is what all his kind has before they are born; before in this world they are even formed. The green is what he developed during his time with you—the Princesses, the town, and his friends true. But in order for his problem to fix, he must allow these two to mix; for if the way of his kind he continues to reject, his own life he may wreck."

Spike shut his eyes. This was not the answer he was expecting or indeed wanted to hear, not at all. He had to make some sense of it all. "But that isn't right. You know what would happen yourself, Zecora, if I just sit back and allow it to happen all over again. Do you want to see Ponyville destroyed twice?"

At this, Zecora's eyes flashed, and she stomped her hoof, instantly commanding the attention of all those present in the room. "Now you listen to me for this is true. If not, a sad life it will be for you. Listen now and take heed; a balance is what you truly need."

Spike wanted to counter what she had said. _Allow whatever urges he had inside of him to run free?_That was suicide-maybe even homicide if somepony got in the way, but at the very least a total disaster-however he could see that there was no use arguing with Zecora. He'd only get confused with more of her cryptic riddles. "Thanks anyway…" he mumbled. Suddenly he felt the pressure of a hoof upon his left shoulder and looked up to see a sympathetic Zecora looking down at him.

"I am sorry, young one, to have ruined your day, but please trust me when I tell you it is the only way."

Spike would have responded to her kind words, but at that moment he felt a familiar hitch in the pit of his stomach. An unbearable wave of gas shot up to his mouth, and the dragon burped up a flash of green flames and a small, neatly sealed scroll.

"It could be Princess Celestia with something new about dragons!" Twilight abruptly screeched. In her haste, she caught the letter with her hooves, totally forgetting that she was a unicorn and had magic under her disposal. She did, however, remember enough to open the scroll with her magic, and in a flurry, she sat down to read. "It's, it's…" Her smile waned a little. "It's Princess Luna. She says she's overjoyed at hearing that we'll be present for the Midsummer Moon Gala this year."

Although Spike wasn't in his usual good mood, he had to crack a grin at Twilight's reaction. "Are you disappointed it's not Princess Celestia?" he teased.

"No!" Twilight gritted her teeth. "It-it's just that I wasn't expecting a letter from Princess Luna although that is a high honor too! And now she's expecting me, and there is no way I can screw this up to let her down, and-" A manic look spread across her face, making Spike lean away from her. "And I have to get home. I have to get ready, and I have to prep Big McIntosh on the correct way in how to address a Princess, and then I'll have to- Wait. Spike, get out a sheet of parchment. We need to make a list."

Spike shook his head, and the corner of his mouth turned up into a smirk. "Yeah, sure Twi. I think we're going to have to go, Zecora." He added.

Zecora only nodded once before her mouth twisted into a small grin.

* * *

"Alright, so does everypony here reckon they're in agreement?" Apple Bloom asked. "All ponies who agree to the plan say 'Aye!' All of y'all who don't agree say-"

"But there's one thing I don't get. How are we gonna pay for all of those quills?" Pumpkin pointed out. "I know my weekly allowance can't cover it. Pound's doesn't either."

"Hey!" her brother cried. "Don't tell everypony how much money I have! That stuff is personal."

"Pound, we're foals. Nopony expects us to have lots of bits." Pumpkin glared at her brother. Pound glared right back. The situation might have turned ugly at that point until Sweetie Belle wisely chose to step between the siblings.

"Don't worry. I've got the bits situation taken care of, you two. What you should really be worried about is finally getting your cutie marks," she smiled. These words seemed to placate the two while the older members of the CMC looked at each other.

"Uh, Sweetie Belle…" Apple Bloom whispered. "If ya don't mind me askin,' how did _you _get enough bits to pull this off?"

"Well maybe unlike you guys, I just so happen to-" Sweetie began smugly, but was cut off by the sight of Apple Bloom's and Scootaloo's blank faces. "_Okay, okay_, so I begged Rarity to advance me a couple of bits this month," admitted the curly haired unicorn.

"And she wasn't suspicious about that… At all?" Scootaloo raised an eyebrow.

"Nope!" Sweetie laughed. "When I got back this morning, she was all excited about some gala thing. I could've painted the floor green right under her nose, and she wouldn't have noticed." She continued to laugh, and both Scootaloo and Apple Bloom joined in with her, but after a few seconds, the trio calmed down. It was time to get to business: cutie mark business.

Apple Bloom was the first to confirm things. "Okay, so we agree to meet at Sugarcube corner at four-"

"No, wait! After five!" Sweetie Belle interrupted. "I have to dodge Rarity. She's supposed to leave at five."

"Jeez, Sweetie, you practically live at your sister's place. Do your parents even come home?" Scootaloo asked.

"Of course they do!" Sweetie countered angrily. "Do-"

"Now, now," Apple Bloom started. Inwardly, she rolled her eyes. Those two were almost as bad as Pumpkin and Pound. "We have to agree on a time. Sweetie Belle, you said after five, right?"

"Yeah…" Sweetie said, although she was still giving her pegasus friend the stink eye.

Apple Bloom sighed. "And y'all don't have any conflicts, Scoots?"

Scootaloo shook her head. "Nada, my evening's all clear."

"Right tootin.' Now to tell our other members…" the earth pony grinned before she turned towards Pumpkin and Pound, her two friends following after her. The twin foals looked up expectantly, both eagerly excited at the thought of getting their cutie marks.

"As by right of bein' senior members of the Ponyville branch of Cutie Mark Crusaders, we have decided that we all should meet up at Sugarcube Corner after five this evening," Apple Bloom stated in her official CMC business voice. Pumpkin and Pound shared an uncomfortable glance at each other.

"Um, Apple Bloom…" Pound began.

"…we can't meet you guys at five. We have to help out mom and dad today." Pumpkin finished.

Apple Bloom facehoofed. "And how long will that take?"

"Oh I don't know… Until seven maybe?" Pumpkin shrugged. "But I overheard my mom say that Quills and Sofas stays open until eight."

"Hold on, are you sure kid?" Scootaloo asked.

"No…" Pumpkin admitted. At this, all three of the senior members facehoofed.

"Maybe?" Pound added tentatively. "But the least we can do is try, right?" His small face lit up.

"Sure…" Scootaloo replied. Her two friends felt the same sinking feeling as she. This day was just not going to go their way.

* * *

Twilight's list had grown into a whopping number of forty-seven things to do before they left for Canterlot that evening. Spike was thankful that they'd reached the library before she could think of any more. From all his years of working with the slightly manic unicorn he had gotten used to writing for long periods of time, but even now his talons were a bit sore.

What he didn't expect when they arrived however was Rarity standing right in front of the door which an annoyed scowl on her face. That definitely wasn't the best thing one could come home to.

"Um, wow, Rarity. You're standing in front of my door…" Twilight glanced around nervously.

"Indeed I am," Rarity frowned. "I've been waiting here for over thirty minutes with Spike's tuxedo jacket and waistcoat that I spent the entire night slaving over while I suppose you two went out for a morning stroll." As the white unicorn said this, her frown progressively got deeper and darker, emphasizing the dark circles around her eyes and less than immaculate mane. The very fact that she had even ventured out in such a state shocked both Spike and Twilight. "And I did tell you last night to expect your outfit to be delivered around ten in the morning, Spikey. Imagine how utterly surprised I was to find out that you had apparently completely forgotten about it. You're so usually attentive, and I couldn't just leave it here for some vandal to carry it off…"

Spike blanched. In the rush to Zecora's he had totally forgotten about Rarity and his formal attire. "Sorry, Rarity. Twilight and I had to rush somewhere this morning and well…" He scratched the back of his neck apprehensively. "I guess I forgot all about it."

For a moment, Rarity stiffened as if his apology had not been accepted, but finally she relented and sighed. "Well, I suppose…" Using her magic, she levitated the carefully wrapped package into the dragon's arms. "I hope you like it. I implemented something quite unique into its design."

Spike couldn't help but to smile. Any gift from her, no matter how small, left an imprint on his soul. "Thanks, Rarity," he exhaled.

"You are most welcome, but by Celestia, I have to make a run to the spa. I'm over twenty minutes late for my appointment you know…" Suddenly Rarity trailed off and gave her lavender unicorn friend a skeptical once over. "Twilight, do you wish to accompany me?"

"W-what?" Twilight blurted out, taken aback completely.

"Well, you aren't exactly looking your best right now, darling. A trip to the spa just may be the thing you need for tonight, and also, I heard from a trusted source that you're bringing along a certain red stallion," Rarity added with a conspiratorial glint in her eye at this juicy piece of information.

"Really?" Twilight deadpanned. She didn't have time for this.

"Plus Princess Luna will be expecting her there," Spike added. "Twi wouldn't dare let Princess Luna down." Twilight immediately sent a heated glare in his direction, but the dragon smiled back. At times like these, he couldn't help himself.

"Oh, then you must!" Rarity grinned, now pulling Twilight over towards herself. "I can see it now. A trip to the spa is just the thing you need, but whatever are you going to wear, dear? And before you try to fool me, let me tell you that I have indeed seen what's in your closet."

Twilight gulped. "Well, I don't know, Rarity. I was thinking about wearing my old Grand Galloping Gala dress again-"

Rarity's small scream of shock nipped whatever Twilight was going to say right in the bud. "B-but that was years ago. Tell me you weren't serious!" Twilight groaned. There was no way she was getting out of this. She knew now.

"You _were _serious! Oh, Twilight! That's it!" Rarity stomped her hoof. "After our spa session, we are heading right to the boutique to see if I can fish something suitable for you. Come along, darling. We're already late!"

Twilight, already accepting her fate, only turned back to give Spike another glare. Spike, however, was already on the ground, guffawing loudly.


	8. Chapter 8

Spike gave himself a generous wink in the mirror. _Just who was the most handsome dragon in all of Equestria?_ The answer was obvious.

"Why, Rarity, did you mean it when you said that you really like my scales? Aw, well I did polish them thoroughly today…" In his head, the imaginary Rarity blushed and tittered a bit. She mumbled something under her breath almost impossible to understand, but Spike managed to hear every word.

"That's nice of you to say, really it is, but nothing can't compare to your beauty, Rarity," he replied softly. "You are the most beautiful, generous, and talented mare in all of Equestria, and I-" He stopped, now much too embarrassed to go on while the white mare of his daydream blinked. Her mouth quivered as the meaning of his words sank in. She tried in vain to hold back her imaginary tears.

This was the point where Spike envisioned she finally realized his love for her—and the point where she suddenly realized her love for him. They would stare at each other for a long, intense moment before Spike would lean forward and take the lead. Rarity would blush coyly for a second before following his cue. Their faces would get closer… and closer… until their noses were touching, and then—

Spike sighed, but his hopes were high. Kissing an imaginary Rarity was nothing like the possibility of kissing an entirely real Rarity, and judging the events of the night before, that possibility had a strong chance of ringing true. Slowly, he turned around to face the mirror again.

_Polished scales? Check._

He leaned closer and flipped up his lip to expose his gums.

_Fangs whitened? Check…_

Downstairs, Spike heard the front door slam shut.

"Spike!" Twilight shouted. He could hear her labored breathing from the floor below. Clearly, she must have run quite some distance. "I'm in a hurry, and Big McIntosh may be here any second! When he gets here, can you let him in and give him the book on the front counter?"

"Got it!" Spike hollered back. He heard her gallop up the stairs, and a curious scent drifted past his nose through his cracked bedroom door—a soft mixture of the local spa with undertones of some perfume he knew from Rarity's boutique. The dragon's mouth nearly dropped to the floor. '_My Celestia_,' he thought. '_Twilight is actually wearing perfume_.' Curious, he poked his head out. Twilight's door was halfway closed, and flashes of lavender could be seen as the unicorn raced back and forth throughout the room.

"And can you please tell him I'm sorry I can't meet him like I said I would? Rarity has to finish curling my hair, and I'm really off schedule now. I'm so off schedule…"

"Yeah, sure…" answered Spike. A part of him was wondering how 'glamoured up' Twilight really was, but the common sense portion of his mind reminded him that he hadn't even touched his own gala outfit. He had a little less than two hours until the carriage came, and the girls would most likely use those hours to put the finishing touches on their appearance, but Big Mac would be spending them there at the library, waiting. Spike didn't know the huge red stallion all that well, but it didn't feel right to just leave the big guy downstairs while he dressed.

Carefully Spike sliced open the package, revealing a sliver of dark cloth concealed within. The dragon reached in and pulled out a black dinner jacket and a crisp white dress shirt—both expertly pressed and creased.

"Wow…" he breathed. Spike may not have been a fashion expert, but he did recognize quality. He threw the dress shirt over his shoulders and slipped his arms into the sleeves, admiring the way the lightweight fabric gave him room to breathe. Large holes in the back fit perfectly over his green spines, and suddenly Spike laughed. Rarity had even given him buttons! Historically, ponies had never done well with buttons; there was something about their hooves that just made things difficult. Spike, however, naturally had no problem.

"Looking good there, lover boy," a voice behind him laughed.

Spike flinched in surprise, but managed to retain a straight face. "Very funny, Twi," he deadpanned.

"And you and Rainbow think that I can never come up with a joke." Twilight grinned as she rested against his doorframe. "Anyway, I want to let you know that I'll be at Rarity's while she takes these huge rollers out." At the mention of rollers, her purple hoof patted several large pink circles that sat on top of her head. "Knowing Rarity, I'm going to be there until the carriage comes, so when it does I want you to ask them to make a stop in front of the boutique. We'll be waiting, okay?"

"Aye, aye, captain," Spike saluted.

"And-" Whatever the unicorn was preparing to say was interrupted by a loud, heavy knock at the door. All of a sudden, the town's clock struck three. "That must be Big McIntosh!" Twilight cried. "I have to get back right away. See you, Spike." Spike covered his eyes as the librarian disappeared in a flash of bright lavender light. The dragon grumbled. He hated when she teleported without warning like that.

The heavy knock sounded again, and Spike grabbed his dinner jacket and stomped down the stairs to open the door. "Yeah, I'm coming!" Spike grumbled. _Jeez, was Big Mac impatient or what?_ He lifted the latch and pulled the handle expecting to see a familiar red face but was instead bombarded by Applejack.

"Twilight!" she called. "It's me, Applejack! Ah'm here t- Oh, Spike. Whatcha doin' down there, sugarcube?"

Spike rubbed his sore backside cautiously from his position on the floor. "Oh, nothing, Applejack. What's up?" he winced.

"Well… Ah came here to share a few words with Twilight. Is she back there?"

"Uh…no. She's at the boutique…" Spike answered slowly. "What are you guys going to talk about?" He raised an eyebrow in interest.

"Oh…somethin'—er I mean n-nothin'…but somethin,'" Applejack's green eyes darted around the room nervously. "Nothing that ya should worry your head about. Heh-heh…" She laughed weakly and began to back away. "A-Ah'm just gonna go now…to the boutique to have that…talk. Bye!" The orange mare took off down the street. "And don't forget what Ah said to ya, Mac!" she added, her voice fading in the distance.

"Dude, you seriously have one really dedicated, really overprotective sister…" Spike commented as they watched Applejack gallop away.

"Eeyup," Big McIntosh agreed sadly.

* * *

Celestia's sun was hovering above the horizon when the group's pegasi escort arrived in front of the Carousel Boutique. Spike climbed out to let the girls know that their carriage had come, but as soon as he placed a foot on the ground, the front door flew open.

Out stepped Twilight Sparkle, elegantly wrapped into a pale blue sparkling gown with a bold yellow bodice and trimmings. Twilight's dark stripped mane was gathered up into a smooth bob, locked securely in place by a golden clamp. Her purple face grew annoyed as she swatted away a stray curl from her bangs. Normally Spike would have teased his best friend/adoptive sister the few times she dressed up like this, but this time he couldn't. She actually looked quite nice.

"When all of you are done staring, we do have a gala to get to…" Twilight stated. At this, all of the males in the vicinity immediately looked away. Big Mac pretended to straighten his waistcoat while the two pegasi pawed at the ground and whistled around nervously. Twilight's brows were fixed in a frown; however, her lips were turned up in a smile-although she quickly bit down to hide it. As she reached the carriage, surprisingly a red hoof held the door for her. Twilight gulped, mumbled a quick thank you, and hopped in.

"Isn't that just adorable?" a new voice sighed.

"_Rarity_!"

"Stop being so shy, Twilight. A gentlestallion held the door for you; what's not wonderful about that?"

Spike shot a glare in the big red pony's direction. After six years and having nearly blown everything the night before, there was no way he was going to let Big McIntosh outshine him. "Milady?" he asked, holding out a claw.

"Oh my… Why thank you," Rarity smiled as she placed a delicate hoof on his palm. That was when the dragon first observed her altered appearance. The fashionista's usual locks had been replaced by waves of silky purple ring curls—some of which were allowed to bounce freely, framing her face, but it was her dress that truly stole the show. Rarity's gown was a shimmering light blue although at every movement parts of it sparkled silver or even purple as if it couldn't decide which color it would rather be. The curves of her body were outlined by the translucent material, and if one stared long enough, that pony could make out the dark curls of her tail behind the pooling blue cloth. All in all the combined effect was absolutely stunning, and Spike worked hard to keep his composure. It wouldn't do to ruin everything now by getting caught staring at her.

"Is everypony ready?" Twilight asked once they took their seats. The lavender unicorn grinned as everypony nodded. "Great!" She then stuck her head out to address the pegasi. "Hey guys, we're all ready back here. You can start now."

"To Canterlot Gardens, missus?" asked one pegasus.

"Yes, Canterlot Gardens," Twilight confirmed.

"Alrighty then…" the pegasus replied. "Keep all heads and hooves inside the vehicle at all times. Seriously. We ain't responsible for sudden death if one of you are dumb enough to fall and we can't catch ya in time." He and his partner leaned forward and stretched their wings before they gave an almighty flap. The group in the carriage tensed when they felt the unusual sensation of leaving the solid earth, and the wind picked up a little as they rose higher to parallel with the setting sun. Despite the pegasus's cryptic warning, Spike's spirit soared as they sailed along leaving behind the familiar backdrop of Ponyville.

"Well, I can see you're excited."

Spike turned to see Rarity gazing up at him. "Yeah…" Was all that he could find himself able to say. '_Come on_!' He mentally kicked himself. He had spent all this time longing for this very moment only to clam up now? "…I've always enjoyed riding in these things," he finally added after a short silence between them.

"How lovely," Rarity replied simply, and there was silence between them again. Both seemed to avoid the other's glance—which was quite the feat in that overcrowded carriage—until the white mare tried one more time. "The sunset today is very beautiful; don't you think so, Spikey?"

"It is beautiful," Spike replied, but he wasn't looking at the sunset. Then a thought abruptly truck him._Was Rarity grasping at straws to find things to talk about as well? Was she as nervous as he?_ Probably not, but he couldn't tell from her expert poker face. Oh well, maybe it was best to keep up the small talk to see where it went. "So…" Spike began. "You're excited about tonight?"

The answer was obvious, but Rarity perked up and giggled in her seat anyway. "Oh, am I? Spikey, you absolutely have no idea. This is the BEST possible thing to happen to me all year! I've been just longing to attend the Midsummer Moon Gala ever since Princess Luna reinstated it! It's been the rage in all the newspapers you know. I just wondered why it took so long for us to be invited. We _are _the Elements of Harmony—or at least two of them." Her face scrunched up in thought.

Spike wisely decided not to tell her about the countless invitations Twilight must've thrown away over the years. After all, even without presently being fifty canterlengths up in the air, that situation wouldn't end well. "Maybe those Canterlot guys just don't know the right ponies to invite?" the dragon grinned.

Rarity chortled in return. "You're more than likely right, darling. I daresay they must receive lessons from Pinkie."

"Do you think this is going to be the same as the Grand Galloping Gala?" Spike questioned. Everything was going so smoothly. He couldn't let the conversation die now.

To this, Rarity made a rather unladylike face. "Ugh, I hope not. No amount of bits in Equestria would persuade me want to relive that night. However, that reminds me…" Her voice trailed off. "We girls had a miserable time that night, but what about you? I never learned what happened to you after we all so thoughtlessly left you behind."

Now it was Spike's turn to squirm uncomfortably on his seat. "Oh, I really didn't do anything. I just walked around, had some punch…"

"Spike. We found you in a donut shop after asking whether anypony had seen a baby dragon walking around the streets of Canterlot. Can you imagine all of the stares we received after that?"

Spike sighed. There was no use in keeping it to himself any longer. Rarity would hound him until he screamed out the truth. "You guys had left." The dragon replied. "All of you had made big plans of what you were going to do at the gala, but the only plan I had was to hang out with all of you. You guys were—are—my best friends. What else was I going to do at that place besides spend time with you all? So yeah, I sorta walked out after a half hour of looking around. I wasn't entirely lying though. I did try the punch."

"Oh Spikey, that's so awful…" The unicorn laid her white hoof on his scaly arm. "The very thought of you walking the streets alone like that, I don't know what to say."

"Rarity, it was years ago. You don't have to say anything at all," Spike mumbled. He turned his head and was shocked at the proximity of his face to hers. Had she been this close to him during the entire flight?

"No, you say I don't have say anything, but I want to say something. I sometimes believe we, the girls, are inconsiderate of your feelings, darling—that night being the prime example. I had no idea what had happened to you, but neither did I ask, and I don't remember anypony else there asking either. I'm so terribly sorry."

"Really, Rarity, it's no big deal. Like I said, that happened years ago. I'm totally fine now," Spike stressed. He was an adult. The last thing he needed was a pity party.

Rarity in response just twisted in her seat and huffed. "Oh, alright… However this time I would—Whoa-ah-ha!" Suddenly the white mare lost her balance and toppled over.

"Canterlot Gardens, everypony!" the pegasus driver yelled.

Spike slowly exhaled. He had forgotten how rough landings by pegasi carriages could be. As he became more aware, he felt a weight on top of his lap. And what was that tickling the bottom of his chin? He looked down exactly the same time the pony sprawled across his legs looked up.

Like wildfire, Rarity scrambled back up from her precarious position, her face a fierce flaming red. "Oh-er… Excuse… T-that was…a terrible landing, and somepony could've gotten extremely hurt. Those pegasi should really be more careful-" Still stunned, Spike only nodded to the words that were most certainly coming out of her mouth, but he really wasn't hearing them. _Was Rarity just faceplanted near his crotch? Why yes, Rarity was just faceplanted near his crotch._ The heavens above—were they screwing with him or granting him a blessing? He couldn't tell.

Rarity, however, clearly thought differently for she was now complaining to the pegasi. "-could've fallen and sprained a hoof! You call yourselves running a respectable business, and yet you obviously care not one iota for common safety measures!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're not the one paying our tabs, lady," one of them laughed.

"Hey, missus!" the other grunted to Twilight. "When we gotta come back?"

"Midnight would be best…" Twilight answered while Big Mac quietly helped her step down from the carriage. The drivers nodded. A moment later Spike and Rarity climbed out, the latter's face still tinged a bit pink.

"Alright, here we go, guys," Twilight breathed. The four then took their first gaze upon the royal Canterlot Gardens during midsummer moon. The actual gala was located behind the towering dark green bush walls, and the quartet could hear the murmur of conversation through the foliage. In the center of the path stood an enormous pearly gate, clearly the entrance, and surrounded by two reptilian Lunar guards and an aging green unicorn stallion wearing a monocle. Deducing fairly quickly that the unicorn was the pony responsible for handling guests, they made their way over to where he was standing.

The stallion looked up at them with mild disinterest as they approached the gate. "And your name if you please, madam?" he drawled in a typical upper class nasally Canterlot voice.

"Twilight Sparkle," Twilight piped up. "And behind me are some of my friends."

The stallion looked remarkably unimpressed and only let out a small, bored sigh, lazily flipping through his long sheets of parchment. "Let's see… Twilight Sparkle… Twilight Sparkle… Sister to his Excellency-" The unicorn's brown eyes widened. "Oh, my… "

"What's wrong? Is my name not there?" Twilight asked.

"Oh no, my lady!" The unicorn bent his knees until his upper half was down in what vaguely resembled a bow. "There's nothing wrong at all. The gala awaits your Ladyship."


	9. Chapter 9

The Midsummer Moon gala was all moonlight and fireflies. Contrary to the Grand Galloping Gala, the Midsummer Moon gala was held outdoors in what almost seemed like a park. Various ponies strolled the grassy lanes while others ducked behind large shrubs which seemed conveniently placed for a romantic _rendezvous_. After the enormous entrance gates closed, all nearby conversation hushed at the sudden presence of the three ponies and one dragon. Eyes of every color of the rainbow narrowed as the gala's guests tried to decipher the identities of the newcomers.

"My word, is that-?"

"-been ages… Goodness, she must actually like mucking it up in that backwards little town… What was its name again?"

"-of course I know! After all, I've been close associates with Princess Celestia for years. In fact-"

"Oh my Luna! That big red guy's picture was on the back of my apple today!"

The four friends hesitated. Coming face to face with a capricious crowd of Equestria's elite could make anypony freeze in her or his tracks—especially when that crowd was suddenly joined by an ancient and powerful princess. The murmuring slowly ceased as a tall, dark, and slender figure parted through the herd of exquisitely dressed ponies all the while flanked by two more Lunar guards. Twilight, Big McIntosh, Spike, and Rarity shared a collective gasp before bowing before their Princess. The rest of the guests followed.

"Twilight Sparkle…" Princess Luna smiled. "We are overjoyed that thou hast come, and thou hast brought thy friends also! Young Spike… Rarity…" With each name the dark blue alicorn gave a courtly nod of recognition. "And… ah yes… Art thou the male sibling of friend Applejack?"

"Eeyup!" Big Mac answered proudly, which promptly resulted in a rush of snarky laughter throughout the crowd of nobles and a loud facehoof from Twilight.

"Excellent! We are certain that thy character is as admirable as thy sister's, but enough of this chit of the chat. Come. We have reserved a place for you beside us at the most high table." The princess gestured the quartet to follow before turning around to head back through the crowd. The four started to meekly follow, but a sudden thought held Twilight back. Biting her lower lip in nervousness, the purple unicorn stopped.

"Princess Luna, with all due respect, I need to talk with Spike in private for a minute. May we join you later?"

Luna halted her graceful stride. "Why of course Twilight Sparkle. We are always accommodating to our subjects. When the time is right, come join us at the most high table. In the meantime, we shall educate friends Rarity and Big McIntosh about the history behind one of our most cherished celebrations." Both Rarity and Big Mac winced at this—neither pony was eager to learn about Luna's "most cherished celebrations" and secretly gave Twilight pained looks behind their Princess's back.

Twilight repressed the urge to facehoof again and squeezed out a response appropriate for a princess. Then with a quick, hard tug with her teeth on his dinner jacket, she pulled Spike over to the side.

"Hey! Watch the threads!" the dragon yelled, wiggling his arm uncomfortably at the cold damp feeling of pony saliva. "What's the big deal?"

Twilight sighed. "Spike, we need to discuss what happened this morning. With all of the craziness today, we never had a chance to discuss the meaning of Zecora's words. I know that this isn't exactly the best place to do this…" They both looked around as she trailed off. A few ponies around them were still giving the two curious glances every now and then. "In fact, we probably shouldn't even be here…" The lavender unicorn let her words trail off again—an action she was not known for doing.

It took Spike a moment or two to decipher what she had intended to say. If he didn't know it before, thanks to Zecora he very well knew it now. Somewhere deep inside of him was something both innate and primal, and it had no reservations about making a surprise appearance. In a way, everypony around him now was in danger. Spike lowered his head to snatch a glance at Twilight whose face had hardened in a way he had rarely seen before. The dragon knew that if he had deduced his being a danger to all those around him, Twilight would have discovered the same fact ten times faster. How does one feel when one realizes that the harmless baby dragon one grew up alongside could now be considered a danger to everypony?

"So you think we shouldn't be here?" Spike replied softly.

"Well… To be perfectly honest, we shouldn't," answered Twilight. "Being here only subjects these ponies to possible danger. I know Princess Luna is able to handle anything well enough, but still, there is a possibility of trouble." She laid a hoof on his shoulder. Both couldn't help but to notice the slight difficulty; Spike was much taller than he used to be. "But I thought over it this morning, and it's just not fair to you. At Pinkie's party last night, you were so excited about coming here and about Rarity that I couldn't force myself to cancel this even though I knew that that was the logical thing to do."

Spike took a step back in surprise. _Twilight Sparkle going against logic?_ He didn't know whether to feel appreciative or guilty. "Twi…" he began.

"If you start feeling…" The usually calm Twilight visibly struggled to find the right word. "-different, you will let me know, right?"

Spike nodded. There were no words to say. Twilight Sparkle was his boss, guardian, sister, first friend. He could never let her down.

* * *

By the time Twilight and Spike found their friends and the princess again, they were surprised to find two of the three in deep conversation.

"Twilight, are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Spike asked aloud.

"If our senses haven't been compromised in some way then… yes," Twilight answered. Suddenly, they were joined by a pair of finely dressed, but equally irritated mares.

"So you two notice this as well?" the unicorn mare to their left spat. "Some little upstart from nowhere comes along and suddenly gets all of the princess's attention! It's sickening! Do you know how long I've hung around the castle trying to score even a single greeting from either princess?"

The second mare stomped her hoof in both frustration and agreement. "I concur wholeheartedly, Sister. It's downright disgraceful. "

"Oh, do get your knickers out a twist you two…" scolded a new voice with a toss of her deep purple mane. "I must say, you sound terribly jealous."

The two mares immediately turned up their noses and gave the newcomer the stink eye. "Well, I never-" began one, but she was immediately interrupted by way of being accidentally knocked over by Twilight.

"Rarity!" Twilight cried, rushing over to the white unicorn. "What's going on here?"

Rarity blinked. "But darling, I thought you knew. I mean, well, you're the one who received the invitation to this little soiree and-"

Twilight growled in frustration. "No, Rarity, I mean, how in Equestria is Big McIntosh having a conversation with Princess Luna? He's barely said ten words during this whole trip. How has he suddenly become the chatterbox that everypony's envying?"

"It's a bit of a long story actually," Rarity admitted. "While you were gone, the princess kept going on and on about some random flowerpot or whatever that existed over a thousand years ago until she remarked upon something else and Big McIntosh responded. Hmm…" The fashionista tapped her chin in thought. "I believe what he said was something about…dirt."

"So Princess Luna and AJ's big brother are talking about dirt?" Spike questioned, nonplussed. Twilight in contrast looked as if she was almost in a panic.

"Y-yes…ugh…_dirt_…" Rarity shivered. "It was quite awful, you know. I know nothing about farming or….dirt, so you can imagine the awkwardness I felt standing up there without a thing to add to the conversation. I eventually had to excuse myself from further embarrassment saying that I was going off to find you two."

"But-" Spike started before he was cut off by a now fully flustered Twilight.

"Oh no, no, no!" Twilight panicked, her perfectly smooth bob beginning to fray. "He's talking about dirt? To the princess of all ponies? But he said he read the book on traditional etiquette! Spike, did you give him the book to read like I asked?"

Leaning back and sensing a potential Twilight manic episode at this sudden question, Spike gulped. "Yeah…"

"Then how? Just great... I should have gone over the book's finer details with him for a third time rather than quiz him on the history of Canterlot galas. Oh my Celestia, what have I done?"

"But I don't think you understand, darling. The princess wasn't-"

However, the Element of Magic shook her head. "No, Rarity, you don't understand! Princess Luna is more than likely feeling insulted by Big Mac talking to her about dirt of all things at her private gala that she only holds once a year! She's going to go back to the castle complaining about how Twilight Sparkle's escort insulted her in front of everypony, and then Princess Celestia is going to hear, and then the princess will summon me back to Canterlot, and-" Twilight paused to draw breath to continue her rambling. "And I have to stop him!" The purple pony twitched for a second before galloping off through the crowd.

"Wait. What?" Rarity gasped, but Spike only sighed.

"Come on… We have to stop her before it gets too bad."

Unfortunately, Twilight made it to Big Mac and the princess long before either Spike or Rarity could catch up.

"Ah, Twilight Sparkle, there thou art," Princess Luna declared after the unicorn suddenly showed up both sweaty and shaking. "We believe friend Rarity hath gone out to search for you and Young Spike." Twilight tried to speak, but her burning lungs refused to cooperate. "But now we are required to wait until everypony is gathered before we partake of the fun. Ah, well… However, let us state that your consort, friend Applejack's sibling, is-"

By now Twilight had finally found her voice. "Oh please, forgive-"

"-quite knowledgeable. Indeed, it was refreshing to-"

"Wait. Refreshing?" Twilight interrupted. "Knowledgeable?"

"Of course. We have received sound advice from him. Right, friend Mac?"

"Eeyup!" Big McIntosh replied.

"Indeed. But why the confusion we gather from your countenance, Twilight Sparkle? Surely thou know of his vast knowledge which is why thou desired him as thy consort?" The princess raised an eyebrow at Twilight's unusual behavior.

The lavender unicorn was taken aback. "Oh! Princess! Oh, um… sure. Of course, I knew that." This was one of the few times Twilight was glad that she wasn't the Element of Honesty. "But if you wouldn't mind…Can you tell me what you were talking about?" Since disaster had somehow been averted, the unicorn couldn't help but to feel a little curious now.

Luna's eyebrow rose even higher, if possible, but she did answer the question. "Certainly. You see, after our… absence… we…. I returned to an exceedingly different Equestria than the one I had left. Few things manage to survive unchanged for a millennium." The alicorn took a deep breath. "However, I was surprised when I learned that the royal garden no longer held luz de luna. Luz de luna is one of my favorite species of flora. In the past, it has always pleased the royal heart to look upon it. Luz de luna grows wild upon the mountainside and the fields surrounding Canterlot, but despite the gardeners' best efforts, we had not been successful in recultivating the flower in the royal gardens. However, there is hope for progress now thanks to Big McIntosh!"

"Aw, shucks, Your Highness…" the red workhorse blushed. "Ah just only put mah two bits in, nothin' more. Jus' remember to take note of the flower's natural habitat."

Twilight was following the story along in her head. It was rather remarkable that the royal gardeners hadn't figured this out themselves. Who tries to tame a new plant without studying its previous environment?

"That's pretty logical, Big Mac. Where did you learn that?" Twilight was definitely curious now.

"Well, Ah did grow up on a farm." The stallion looked down on her quizzically. "Ya tend to learn a few things growing up on a farm. Ah reckon many ponies don't know that."

At this Twilight let out a tiny "Oh" and said little for the next half hour. All were silent until Spike and Rarity came barrelling around the corner. Spike's eyes were wide open searching for any sign of disaster while Rarity's were wide shut cringing against the cool feeling of sweat that she was sure was raining down her legs at the moment. Both stopped short at the relatively peaceful scene in front of them. _Had they witnessed Twilight overreacting earlier or not?_

"Ah, Spike, Rarity, you have returned. Glorious!" Luna grinned widely. "At last, now we can partake of the fun!"

* * *

It was after seven when Davenport heard the first voice. Struggling to raise his head, the stallion tried to blink the bleariness out of his eyes. Inwardly, he cursed his decision to try the corn liquor rather than his usual Sweet Apple Acres cider. No matter how depressing one's situation may be, blackouts were no fun.

Abruptly, Davenport shot up from his splayed position upon the floor. There was that sound again—a new voice. Did it sound younger than the first one, or was that just his aching head? Placing a hoof on the wall to steady himself, the shopkeeper intended to find out.

* * *

"Yippie! This is fun!" Pound Cake grinned while jumping up and down on a fancy blue sofa.

"Wait. Pound? How did you get up there so fast?" Sweetie Belle hissed, looking around. "You were just behind us a second ago." The rest of the gang piled around the entrance, gazing at the eerily empty shop in apprehension.

Pound shrugged. "I don't know… I just saw something fun to do, and I just…started doing it I guess." The older members of the CMC looked at each other, but Pumpkin only sighed.

"Don't ask," she grumbled. "After Pinkie, we've all learned to not ask questions."

The rest of the group immediately understood. After Pinkie Pie, they'd all learned not to ask questions. Still, however, they had a job to do, and the owner of Quills and Sofas probably wouldn't like them jumping all over his merchandise.

"Hello? Quills and Sofas guy? _Hellooo_!" Scootaloo called out as she looked around the darkened shop. "It's kinda creepy in here." The only lumination available to the fillies and colt was a few candles that littered the walls, giving the store a shadowy air. "Are you guys sure that this place is still open?"

"Well, the front door was open, what place is s'posed to be closed, when the front door is open? Besides, ya ain't scared, are ya Scootaloo?" Apple Bloom teased. "Ya ain't chicken, are ya?"

"NO!" Scootaloo yelled, slightly incensed on hearing her foalhood nickname once again.

"Shh! Will you be quiet?" Sweetie Belle hushed. "We're on official cutie mark business here, guys."

**THUMP**! A sofa abruptly fell over.

"I'm okay!" Pound yelled. Everypony facehoofed.

"Alright, alright, maybe we _do _need to be more business-like," Apple Bloom conceded.

"Don't you mean maybe we need to be more professional?" corrected Sweetie Belle.

Apple Bloom answered that question with a scowl aimed at her unicorn friend's direction as she rang a bell on the front counter. Nothing happened. The teenaged filly rang the bell again.

* * *

The thump reached Davenport's ears as if the sound was travelling underwater. The tan earth pony shook his head. He had long since discarded the idea that the noises were a product of what he'd drunk earlier. The noises were much too real.

Leaning against the wall, Davenport's mind tried to guess exactly who had invaded his shop at this time of the day. He had closed early that day. He was certain he'd locked the door after three. Logically then, whoever had chosen to invade his place of business was doing so illegally—with evil intentions no doubt. The shopkeeper had to smile—even through a hammering foggy hangover, he still had the ability to think logically.

Grinning, Davenport staggered over to a corner where a smooth polished cane rested. It had been his grandfather's an age ago, but now it was suitable to serve as a brandishing weapon. Funny, in a town like Ponyville, Davenport had never imagined that he would need a weapon. However, the stallion also had never imagined his shop would be broken into one day.

* * *

"Are you sure this place isn't closed?" Scootaloo asked.

"Yep…" Apple Bloom replied, but the earth pony did not sound as certain as she was before. A little halfheartedly she sounded the bell again, but still there was silence. Everypony's enthusiasm sank like a stone. It was becoming obvious-the owner wasn't coming.

"S-so we won't be getting our cutie marks today?" Pumpkin sniffed sadly. Her tiny body sagged against the counter. Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle looked at each other but couldn't decide exactly what to say. What could they say? Quills and Sofas was clearly closed despite its unlocked door. They would have to leave and come back some other time.

* * *

On the other side of the door leading into the main showroom, Davenport hesitated. The voices had quieted. His heart fluttered inside his chest, and his teeth bit down upon the bitter wood.

A hoof rested upon the handle.


End file.
